


It Started When You Showed Up At My Door

by imagentmichigan



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grand Theft Auto Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Choking, Drug Abuse, Fake AH Crew, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Okay let's just say there's a lot of sex, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-04-27 13:55:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 23,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5051047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imagentmichigan/pseuds/imagentmichigan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I may have gotten the idea for the dealers from O Brother Where Art Thou?</p><p>Grade A movie, 10/10, would recommend.</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ryan looked up from his book as he heard a knocking at his door, a little insistent and loud. He sighed as he closed the book and set it aside before he stood up from where he was sat. He grabbed his mask from the end table and grabbed the gun from the drawer, knowing if it was some sort of police force he could take them out pretty quickly. Ryan cautiously approached the door as the knocking came again, and leaned over to look out of the peephole to see who was on the other side. 

As soon as he saw blond hair and gold-rimmed sunglasses come into view, his heart beat a little faster and he chalked it up to being excitedly relieved, and no other reason. "What the fuck are you doing here??" Ryan hissed as he opened the door, pulling Gavin inside of his apartment. 

He kept a hand on Gavin as he was pulled through the doorway, either high or buzzed from the sound of his giggle. Ryan shut the door as Gavin looked up at him, pouting a bit. "Maybe I just wanted to see you, Rye-bread!" 

Ryan took off the mask, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, sure, just like all the other times you randomly come over to see me. What happened and were you followed?" Ryan asked, crossing his arms. 

Gavin stood there for a minute, just staring at Ryan from behind his sunglasses. Ryan frowned, and then waved a hand in front of Gavin's face, which seemed to work in snapping him back to reality. "Oh, sorry. Just never seen you without at least the face paint on. God, you're bloody handsome." He hummed, turning away as he grabbed his sunglasses off his face. "Do you have anything to drink?" 

Ryan sighed, throwing his mask onto the couch before following Gavin into the kitchen. "If you're looking for booze, not at the moment. If you're looking for anything else, check the fridge." He grumbled, flipping on the safety to his gun before he tucked it into his pants at the small of his back. At least if anyone did follow Gavin and tried to break in, Ryan would be able to make sure that they weren't able to go and tell anyone else. 

Ryan looked out the window as Gavin opened up the fridge, grabbing out a bottle water. "Ryan, lovely Ryan, why do you have so much diet coke?" Gavin hummed as he took a seat at the table.

"I happen to like diet coke and hate going out to get it often." Ryan reply, turning away from the window to look at Gavin. His heart sank as he saw the bruise forming on his left eye, concern taking over him. "Jesus, Gavin, what the fuck did you do?" He asked, heading over and sitting next to him to inspect the bruise.

Gavin groaned, swatting out at Ryan. "My dealer was charging me too much, alright?" He muttered. "I took care of it, don't worry." 

He sighed, shaking his head as he leaned back in the dining room chair. "Yeah, I can tell from the bruise on your face. Geoff's not gonna be happy to see that." 

"Well fuck Geoff!" Gavin growled, taking Ryan aback. "I don't have to make him happy all the damn time, I can do whatever the bloody hell I want!" 

Ryan stared at the other as he said that, and he reached out, putting a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" He asked, a little more quietly this time. 

Gavin shook his head. "Nothing, don't worry about it." He murmured, taking a drink of the water. He smirked as his gaze turned to Ryan, and he set the water aside. "Ryan, why don't you go like this all the time? I wouldn't mind seeing this face around a lot more." Gavin purred, and suddenly Ryan found himself with a lapful of Gavin as the other climbed into it. 

Ryan blinked up at the man above him, keeping his hands to himself as arms wrapped around his neck. "Gavin, what're you doing?" He asked, his heart going a mile a minute. 

Gavin just smiled down at him, and Ryan felt hands being tangled into his hair. "Just enjoying the view from a little closer." The man murmured, leaning down closer to Ryan. 

Ryan gulped as he sat there, staring up at Gavin's green eyes as the other smiled down at him, and then there were lips on his and a hand cupping the back of his neck. He didn't respond for a moment, frozen as he felt Gavin kissing him, but then he decided to just say fuck it and went for it. He placed his hands on Gavin's hips, pulling him a bit closer as the kiss deepened. Ryan knew the other was high, but he didn't seem to be so coked-out and drunk that he didn't know what he was doing. He'd seen the Brit in all shades of fucked up, and right now he knew the other was barely high enough to actually have a small bit of confidence. 

Gavin pulled away after a minute, his eyes blown with lust as his hips ground down, making Ryan let out a soft whimper. "Lovely Ryan, so lovely." He murmured breathily, and Ryan just pulled him back down for another kiss. 

When he felt Gavin's hand making it's way down to his crotch, he pulled away, looking into Gavin's eyes. "How much did you have tonight?" He asked, wanting to make sure he wasn't taking advantage of the man in his lap. He may be a cold-blooded murderer, but he wasn't a fucking perverted asshole.

Gavin just smiled, leaning in closer. "Only a small bump, love. Don't worry about me, I'm just fine." He purred, and Ryan closed his eyes as he felt lips dragging their way down his jaw to his neck. 

Ryan let out a groan as he felt Gavin's hand kneaded him through his jeans, rolling his hips up into the contact. After a moment he grabbed Gavin's hand, moving Gavin's arm up to wrap around his neck once more before reaching down to grab the other man's thighs, standing up as he held Gavin close. He chuckled as he heard the other squeak, clinging on like his life depended on it. Ryan took this moment to lean his head down, kissing along Gavin's collarbone as he began making his way from the kitchen, towards his bedroom.

Once they reached the room, Ryan kicked the door open, dropping Gavin onto the bed. Both of them quickly began to shed their clothes, Gavin tugging off his pants as Ryan threw off his shirt. His hands reached over and started to unbutton Gavin's shirt, kissing along his neck as he did. He felt hands on his belt, and he shifted so Gavin could get it off easier while he shoved the shirt from his shoulders. Once they were down to their underwear, Gavin hooked his fingers under Ryan's waistband, pulling them down slowly as he bit into Ryan's collarbone, making him moan. 

Ryan brought his hands down to pull off Gavin's boxer-briefs, throwing them over the side of the bed before rolling their hips together, reveling in the low moan reverberating through Gavin's chest. He grabbed both of their cocks in his hand, thrusting into it as his other hand clamped down on Gavin's hip. "Goddammit, don't stop Rye." Gavin muttered under him, throwing his head back, giving Ryan ample space to nibble and suck on his neck. 

"Didn't plan on it." He chuckled into Gavin's skin, moving faster as Gavin arched his back, thrusting back in pace with his. As hands scrambled against his back, nails digging in he let out a low growl, pulling Gavin close to him. 

Neither of them lasted much longer after that, Ryan biting into Gavin's shoulder and sucking a mark there as he came. "Ryan!" Gavin cried out, shaking as he came as well, his nails dragging down Ryan's back and drawing a little bit of blood. They stayed like that for a few moments, trying to catch their breath as Gavin mouthed at Ryan's neck. Once Gavin stopped shaking in his arms, Ryan slowly got up and headed for his bathroom to grab a damp cloth. He cleaned himself up before heading into the bedroom once more, handing it over to Gavin to clean himself up. As he laid down under the covers he heard the cloth hit the wall near the door and Gavin joined him under the covers, nuzzling close to the other. 

Both of them lay there silently, the weight of what just happened resting on their shoulders. Ryan fell asleep as Gavin breathed softly on his neck and stroked his thumb across his hip. 

...

He was woken up at nearly 5am as Gavin climbed out of the bed, and his heart dropped as he saw him slowly getting dressed. He didn't say a word at first, not until Gavin looked over and saw him staring. "Guess I'll see you at work tomorrow?" Ryan asked awkwardly. 

Gavin just nodded, sending a small smile his way. "Yeah. I should really head back now though, Geoff's gotta be worrying about where I ran off to." 

Ryan nodded in return, watching in silence as Gavin left the room. He waited until he heard the front door shut before he laid back down, wishing that Gavin hadn't just left so abruptly. Though, as much as he wanted the other man to stay, he knew that Gavin probably didn't want to be here any longer than he had been. Last night probably only happened because Gavin hadn't gotten any in awhile, mixed with the small amount of coke and the fact he'd seen Ryan without his mask or face paint for the first time. It's not like Gavin actually liked him, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Gavin did his best to stay away from Ryan. Honestly, last night had gotten weird. If he was honest with himself, it was something that he'd been wanting to do for awhile now. He'd met Ryan when the man had joined the crew a few years ago, and while everyone was scared of him, Gavin had been drawn to him. Even before he'd seen him without the mask, he'd do his best to try to make Ryan smile, he'd give him a weird hypothetical (mostly because he was the only one who would go along with it) and he'd go out of his way to do things for the other. Of course, Ryan didn't seem to even notice any of this, especially after they'd both began to hang out together more often. 

Even after all of this, Gavin had accepted the fact that Ryan didn't like him in a romantic way, and even began questioning if the man was even capable of romantic feelings (though it didn't really matter to Gavin, he just wanted to actually KNOW). Though of course, last night after him and Geoff had gotten into an argument over...well, Gavin didn't even remember anymore, he'd gone to his dealer. And after a mishap with said dealer (which Gavin should really find a new one after he finished off the stash he'd taken from the dead body of his previous), he'd taken a small bump to take his mind off of the night's events, and his feet had lead him to Ryan's door. 

He remembered it all, the way he felt when he saw Ryan's face clean of face paint for the first time, the way the coke in his mind had him feeling confident to take a leap he'd been wanting to for months now. Of course though, after everything was said and done, he realized that Ryan was probably just using the situation to his advantage. Gavin had fallen into his lap and the other man probably hadn't gotten laid in awhile, so why not go for him? So of course Gavin left, of course he wanted to get out. As great as the night was, and as much as he didn't care what Ryan's intentions were, he knew he needed to get out of there. 

This left him with the overwhelming desire to flee, to keep Ryan out of his mind. So of course he immersed himself in his work for that day and kept to his computer room, looking over street cameras and looking through footage of previous heists to see what they could do better. He didn't have actually anything to do for work just yet, his tech skills were mostly used on the biggest heists they needed to pull off, and the rest of the time he was one of the frontmen who helped with the dealings of rival crews and whatnot. It took four hours of him hiding out doing pretty much nothing for Geoff to finally come looking for him. 

"Hey Gavvers, what's up?" Geoff asked cautiously, most likely thinking his hiding was due to whatever they fought about last night. 

"Nothing, just looking over old footage. You know, in his heist, we probably could have done better if Michael used a thermal charge instead of a small, concentrated amount of C4. I've heard that it keeps the gate from breaking into bits and making small flying debris but still opens it just as well. You should talk to him about that when we do another one of these. It'd be less of a blast and more of destroying the lock so the gate just opens." Gavin supplied, looking back at Geoff. 

"Huh, never thought about that. I'll bring it up some time." Geoff said, taking a seat. "So, about last night...look, I'm sorry for just blowing up on you like that, I could have taken another direction." 

"It's okay, really. I don't even remember what we were arguing about. It's alright, I swear." Gavin smiled, ignoring the look Geoff was giving the bruise on his cheek. 

"Oh. Okay. Well, if you're not busy, I wanted you to go out and meet up with a guy who's willing to make a deal with us. He's a small-time weapons dealer, and he wants to offer us weapons on the low if we promise to give him protection. He's got a good price, better than our current dealer's. The guy's not well known and Jack says he sounded a bit sketchy, so Matt'll be going with you and so will Jeremy. If the guy tries to up the price, it's a no deal. If he tries anything against you guys, Jeremy will be there." Geoff explained.

"I can do that." Gavin said as he grabbed his sunglasses, putting them on his face. "When do we leave??" He asked, a little too eager to get out of the penthouse.

Geoff stood up as Gavin did, smirking. "In a few moments, if you were busy I was ready to send Jack with them instead. But if you're good, Matt and Jeremy are waiting out in the living room. You might wanna go catch them." Geoff told him as he left, Gavin following close behind as he made sure his button up was as neat as it could be. 

When he reached the living room, he stopped behind the couch, looking over at Matt and Jeremy sitting in the chairs off to the side. "Guys, I'm ready to go." He said, and they both jumped up. 

"Alright, let's get this show on the road then." Jeremy said as he made sure his gun was in his holster and Matt handed Gavin the case with the money. 

Before they could leave, Gavin froze as Ryan entered, a can of diet coke in his hand. "Aww, leaving us so soon?" He teased at the three as Ray followed behind us. 

"Geoff's sending us out, got some work to do." Matt explained, shrugging. 

"Well, be back before dinner kiddos! Be sure to be safe." Ray cooed in a motherly tone, laughing as he jumped over the back of the couch, spilling his red bull in the process. "Whoops. Don't tell Geoff." 

Ryan laughed, and ruffled Gavin's hair as he passed, making the other squawk. "Ryan! Why are you so rude!?" Gavin asked, frowning as he hoped the mock-anger he gave off made it seem like his blush was from frustration. 

"Oh boo-hoo, go on you three, go spend some money." Ryan huffed as he sat down, winking at Gavin in a way that made his blush spread. 

"C'mon, we're gonna be late. Leave the boys to play their game." Jeremy chuckled, pulling Gavin and Matt from the penthouse.

 

After the three made it to their destination, Gavin was the first to step out of the car, holding the metal case close to his side. The men standing in front of them consisted of a large man wearing a white eyepatch and another standing silently with a pair of sunglasses on his face and a hand on his holster. Gavin noted that neither man seemed like a normal combo for the men they usually did work with, but he shrugged it off. Instead, him and Matt stepped forward, and Gavin placed both of his hand on the handle of the case. He smiled at both of the men, and the one with the eyepatch smile brightly. "Hello good sirs, I assume you are the good men we have come to make a dealing with?" 

Gavin only nodded, letting Matt take the lead on this one. The men before him were disinteresting, which only made this job harder. Honestly, he hated coming out and doing this, but the thing is he was good at it that it only made sense to send him out on occasions. As Matt and the man began talking, no doubt about the deal, Gavin let his mind wander for a bit, to the moment when they left the house. He remembered seeing Ryan wink at him, and it wouldn't have been strange to anyone because that's how their relationship was; teasing, fighting, and just sitting down and playing games. But with last night, Gavin thought that maybe there was something else behind it.

Did it mean that Ryan would be up for doing that again? Gavin would be all for it, if he was honest. It wasn't exactly what he wanted, but honestly, he was glad he was getting anything at all. In this business, something was better than nothing. Gavin's head snapped up as the other man in front of him changed slightly, and while Matt probably didn't pick up on it, Gavin knew the signs. He'd done this enough to be able to read who he was doing business with. 

As he tuned back into the conversation, he smiled and changed his stance so he was standing taller and his chest was puffed out. "I'm just trying to make you understand sir, I can open your world to a whole new world of possibilities, for only a thousand dollars more. I'll give you even more than the original bargain, and you could have more high-tech explosives, mini-guns, and all that jazz." The man told Matt, and Gavin placed a hand on Matt's shoulder to signal he was taking over. 

"Sir, we do appreciate the offer, of course we do." Gavin smiled charmingly at the man, removing his hand from Matt's shoulder. "But before he delve into that, we'd like the standard deal first, just to see how well your products work." He saw the man change more, becoming offended, and so Gavin backtracked. "Of course, we have no reason to doubt at all that your guns are bad at all, I'm sure they're top grade as you suggest, but this is just a tale of precautionary. You can never be too cautious in a field like this, and we can all agree on that. Drug dealers don't have the highest purity they say, gun dealers sell guns that jam from time to time. But you, I can tell that your guns would never fail, is that a safe assumption?" 

The man smiled tightly, and wandered back to his truck. "Well, of course! Me and my compadre here use them all the time, they've never failed us yet!" He said, pulling out a sizable gun from the back of their car. "Of course, I would love to give you a demonstration, though." The man's face twisted as he pointed the gun at them, and he heard Jeremy's gun be pulled from the holster as Matt and Gavin both threw themselves behind a car, the man proceeding to fire at them. 

"Damn, we're in a tight spot!" Jeremy said as he joined them behind the car, ducking as the firing continued. 

"Bloody hell, that guy's a maniac!" Gavin muttered, peeking up as the firing ceased, only to have it start back up again. 

"Alright boys, I think we'll be taking that money from ya! No need to hide, it won't help you now!" Came another voice, smooth and calm. Gavin only assumed that it belonged to the man in sunglasses. 

"Damn, we're in a tight spot!!" Jeremy repeated, standing up with Matt and firing back. 

"How much you think we'll get for killin' Ramsey's golden boy and his friends?" The eyepatched man laughed. "Think of it, Vav, Axial, and Lil J, all in one go! Someone's gonna pay a lot of money for taking them out." 

"Damn, we're in a tight spot!" Jeremy said again as he dropped back down, and Gavin slapped him. 

"Pull yourself together, we've got a situation to deal with here!" Gavin yelled over the gunfire as he stood up, firing off his own pistol. He hit the man with the white eyepatch in the shoulder, and his fire ceased long enough for Matt to send another shot through his head. 

Of course though, this only angered the man with the sunglasses, causing him to begin firing more heavily in their direction. Matt fell as his arm was shot, and he cried out. Right now, Gavin couldn't care, couldn't let himself as he gave back all that was received. After only a few more shots, he successfully took down the man with a shot to the knee, causing him to drop to the ground and his gun to go flying from his hand. He looked down at Jeremy, holstering his own gun. "Go find out why they're here, and find out if he was sent by someone. Clearly the other man wasn't, but they don't seem to travel together all the time, so go make him talk." Gavin barked, kneeling back down.

"But, Matt." Jeremy murmured, his eyes flicking to the other who was holding his arm in pain. 

"He's fine, no go! That's an order." Gavin snapped before turning to Matt to look over his wound, sighing. "It's through and through, Jack will fix you up in no time." Gavin noted as he grabbed his undershirt, ripping off a piece before tying it around Matt's arm. He heard a gunshot, and he peeked up to see Jeremy standing over the man, pointing at his head. "Did you get anything?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He didn't have a name, but he had an address. I put it in my phone for you to look over later, hopefully it's not a dead end." Jeremy replied, dialing in a number. "I'm calling Geoff, we need a clean up crew." 

Gavin only nodded, and he picked up the case before leading Matt back to the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have gotten the idea for the dealers from O Brother Where Art Thou?
> 
> Grade A movie, 10/10, would recommend.


	3. Chapter 3

Ryan let out a sigh as he stopped the car, taking in the sight before him. It'd be a quick clean up for the most part, but he wasn't excited to see Gavin sitting there alone. He grabbed his kit from the passenger seat and put on his mask before stepping out of the car. "So, mind explaining the mess?" He asked, and his heart dropped just a small amount as Gavin stilled and went pale at the sight of him.

"Uh, well, it's a long story." Gavin mumbled, staring up at Ryan. "I sent Jeremy off with Matt. Matt got shot in the fight."

"We got time while I work. I'd like the extra info." He hummed as he got to work, placing a few sticky bombs onto the truck before moving onto pulling out plastic for the bodies.

There was a slight pause before Gavin began speaking. "Well, we got here, and it seemed normal. The guy was acting like a proper sales man, and so I was letting Matt handle it. When the guy started trying to bargain for more money, I noticed it was getting a little weird, so I stepped in of course. Next thing I know, the guy is pulling out a gun and offering a demonstration. So, Matt and I dove behind that car, and we all began firing. Didn't seem like an out of the ordinary deal-gone-wrong until I heard the guy in the eyepatch start talking about money for taking us out. I don't think there's an official hit from the sounds of what he said... 'how much you think we'll get for taking out Ramsey's golden boy and his friends', I think was what he said. 'Someone's gotta pay big money for taking them out' or something."

"They don't really seem too much like a pair, different styles, they don't even look like they're from the same crew." Ryan noted as he rolled up the bodies, motioning for Gavin's help for the bigger man. "The guy in the sunglasses looks like a hitman, I'm thinking someone hired him to take you guys out and took this job with Eyepatch to get close to you. He have anything to say?" Ryan asked.

Gavin nodded, helping Ryan lift the bigger man into the trunk of the car. "He had an address, Jeremy knows it. He's probably off telling Geoff now."

Ryan nodded back, shutting the trunk once the body was in. The other guy would have to go in the footholds of the backseat. "Probably. That's good, something to go off of." Ryan mumbled, heading back and throwing the other body over his shoulder. "Open the back door, there's no room in the trunk for this asshole." Gavin quickly opened the back passenger door as Ryan approached, throwing him in unceremoniously. "Alright, you can take care of the blood, I've gotta set a few more charges. At least this is a remote location, no one's gonna even notice a few blown up cars here."

Gavin took the gasoline from the front seat of the car, moving towards where the blood was. He started with the blood next to the car not set with explosives, pouring the gasoline over the blood so it would burn up in the explosion. Ryan watched him carefully as he went about it, tearing his gaze away as Gavin's head lifted once more. As the set the charges on the car, he let his mind wander a bit to the night before. Honestly, he didn't know exactly how Gavin felt about it, but seeing the way Gavin reacted every time he saw him didn't exactly make him feel better.

His head turned as he saw a shadow over him, looking up to see Gavin watching him. "You done?" He asked, and Gavin's only response was to nod. "Good. Get in the car." Ryan told him before he turned back to his work.

After the charges were set, Ryan quickly grabbed his things and the detonator, heading back to the car. Once he was safely inside and had begun driving away, he hit the button and both cars went up, surrounding the area around them with flames. There wasn't really any other things to keep it fueled, so it wouldn't be burning too long.

The ride out to the dumping point was quiet, and Ryan sensed a little awkwardness between the two of them. He hated this, and now he'd wished that last night hadn't happened the way it did. Gavin was high, even if he wasn't high enough to not be in control of his actions. Ryan realized now that he shouldn't have done anything, should've just pushed Gavin away, should've just taken him home. Now, things were weird, and Ryan hated it. When they reached the dumpsite, Ryan parked the car. "Alright, might wanna get out." He said, leaving the keys in the ignition and the car running. He grabbed his kit and everything else he needed from the car before he stepped out and headed to a mound of tires.

"What're you doing?" Gavin asked as he got out, watching Ryan curiously.

Ryan pulled out a few tires from the mound, placing them in the car with the bodies. "Well, the bodies themselves are...kind of like big candles, okay? And their fat is the wax, while the clothing is the wick. The tires make for an extra wick, and make sure the body completely burns up. No bodies, no evidence." Gavin only nodded, looking on as Ryan got everything into place and light the fire. 

Once the fire was set, Ryan grabbed Gavin's arm and pulled him back several feet into what he knew was the safe-zone for when the car would undoubtedly explode. As they stood there, the warm summer air mixed with the heat of the fire, and Ryan noticed Gavin unbuttoning his shirt a small amount before rolling up his sleeves. Of course though, he ignored the actions, turning back to making sure the fire before them completely burned the bodies. It didn't take long though before Ryan himself peeled off his heavy leather jacket, throwing it over near his own car, which he and Lindsay brought up before Ryan even went to go meet Gavin.

They stood there a few moments longer in silence before the car blew up, causing more heat to be sent their way. Ryan began to sweat under his mask, but he kept his cool, keeping a close eye on the car in front of them. He stiffened as he felt a finger hook under the bottom of the mask, lifting it up slowly from his face. He turned his head to see Gavin staring up at him, and raised an eyebrow in response. He smirked as he saw Gavin's eyes flicker across his face, chuckling slightly. "See something you like?" He purred, more in a joking manner than in a serious one. 

Ryan expect Gavin to look away in panic, or maybe just laugh at the joke. What he wasn't expecting was the hand cupping the back of his neck and pulling him into a rough kiss, the way Gavin tugged him over to the Zentorno several feet away, how he laid over the hood of the car and tugged Ryan on top of him. For a split second, Ryan wondered if Gavin was high again, but he already knew the answer. Gavin never did drugs before a meeting, always wanted to be levelheaded, so this time Ryan had no qualms about slipping his hands underneath Gavin's crisp button up while the other sucked a mark into the base of Ryan's neck where he knew it'd be covered by the jacket. 

He let out a small groan as Gavin's hand cupped the front of his jeans, giving him a few light squeezes. Ryan's own hands moved out from under Gavin's button up and instead to their buttons, undoing each one as fast as he could. He thought about just tearing it off, but of course, if he did that people would ask too many questions. He slid it off of Gavin's shoulders and threw it down on top of his own jacket along with Gavin's undershirt, making sure they wouldn't get dirty from the ground. Of course, when he turned back to see Gavin sifting through his wallet, all he could do was laugh, because of course Gavin would take that chance. "See something you like?" He asked again, making Gavin smile. 

"Mmm, I do. I think it's funny that you carry around a condom and lube in your wallet, right next to a big wad of cash. What does that say about you?" Gavin joked, pulling both the lube and condom out. 

Ryan laughed again, rolling his hips against Gavin's. "From the way you made it sound, it says I like hookers. Does this mean I have to pay you now?" Ryan teased, undoing Gavin's belt. 

"Only in kindness, Rye." Gavin snickered, lifting his hips for Ryan to slide off his pants. "And maybe some pizza." Ryan just shook his head at that as he grinned, tugging off his own shirt and throwing it to the ground. Before his hands could more to his own belt, Gavin's hands came up and began undoing it first, slowly pulling down his pants once they were undone as well. Once they were down, Ryan leaned in and pressed his lips to Gavin's, holding out a hand for the lube. 

It didn't take long before Ryan had Gavin open beneath him, panting and groaning, and even less time before Ryan was sliding into him. His hands held tightly to Gavin's hips, gasping as the other let out a moan from under him, leaning up to suck a hickey into Ryan's shoulder. Once Gavin's hips began bucking into his, Ryan began to thrust in, letting out a moan as he did. 

"You know, I always expected you to have a lot of tattoos." Gavin breathed out, digging his fingers into Ryan's biceps. 

"Are we really gonna talk about this now?" Ryan growled from atop him, thrusting in harder, causing Gavin to throw his head back and moan loudly. "Because I don't think this is a really good time for this conversation."

Gavin chuckled breathily as he rolled his hips back, looking up at Ryan. "Mmm, yeah, you're right." He grinned, biting his lip. 

Ryan just rolled his eyes as he continued to thrust into Gavin, pulling him into each one. By time the two of them came, Gavin's collarbones were littered with hickeys and Ryan's shoulders had permanent nail marks in them, but it felt good. He pulled up Gavin's undershirt and wiped the two of them off before he moved and threw both the shirt and the condom, wrapper, and lube packet into the burning car, ignoring Gavin's protests. 

"That was my best undershirt! Now what am I supposed to wear!?" Gavin huffed, slipping back into his pants. 

Ryan just rolled his eyes, throwing his shirt over his head. "Your second-best undershirt." At Gavin's glare, Ryan sighed. "I'll buy you another one, but hey, it's your fault. You started this. Now c'mon, get dressed and ready to head out. The car'll burn out eventually, and it's not really near anywhere that will immediately catch fire. It's good for now." 

He smiled as he heard Gavin muttering angrily behind him about the shirt, but he knew the other would get over it. It was just a shirt, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Gavin buttoned up his shirt as he left the room. It'd been a few weeks since the shootout, and ever since it'd been on and off between him and Ryan. One minute there'd be nothing there, just two friends hanging out and playing games with the others or coworkers yelling at each other for a mistake, and the next it would turn into the two of them grasping at each other helplessly. That was how tonight began. They had made their way to one of the FAHCs many safe houses after a heist had gone wrong. To be fair, it was his fault. He'd turned his attention away from a teller for one moment, and while his back was turned she had pressed the call button for the police. They hadn't lost any money, but getting out of there had been pretty bad. Ray had done his best to help and so had Jeremy, but in the mix the crew had been split up.

Ryan had begun yelling the moment the front door shut, and he'd gone at it ruthlessly, taking advantage of the fact the two of them were completely alone in the house. Once Ryan had begun insulting him, intentionally hitting points he knew would hurt Gavin, he'd had enough. He'd pinned Ryan against the wall and made him shut up the only way he knew how: with his mouth. 

That's how he ended up here, leaving Ryan's room in favor of his own. As much as he liked Ryan, he knew what this was. He knew he was only a means to an end, knew he was only being used as a close and willing warm body. Honestly, Gavin didn't mind one bit. He didn't, really. It didn't mean that it didn't hurt when Ryan practically shoved him from the room with his words, still bitter with anger. It didn't mean it didn't hurt to have to leave every time they did this, or to see Ryan leave without so much as a glance back at him. 

Gavin sighed as he gently lowered himself onto his own bed in the house, glad not for the first time that in this house it was the furthest from Ryan's. Tomorrow would be a new day, and Gavin just hoped it'd be better than this one.

...

When Gavin woke up the next morning, it was to the smell of food cooking. His stomach growled at the smell, and he decided to actually get up out of bed. After he'd changed into something more comfortable (his clothes from the heist were still grimy and gross, and after sleeping in them they looked even worse and it was for this reason he kept a few changes of clothes at all of the safe houses) he headed out into the kitchen, surprised to find Ryan cooking there. "Didn't know you could cook." Gavin hummed, coming to lean against the counter next to where Ryan was hunched over the stove. 

"There's a lot you don't know about me." Ryan said curtly, and Gavin's stomach dropped knowing that Ryan was still upset. 

"Yeah but, we've been friends for almost two years now. I feel like that's something I should have picked up on." Gavin hummed, keeping his voice light. "You call Geoff yet? Let him know we're here?" 

Ryan only nodded, turning off the stove and moving the pan off to the side as he finished it up. He leaned back and opened the oven, and Gavin noticed some sort of rolls baking in there. He watched as Ryan took them out of the oven, placing them on the counter before turning off the oven as well. When he turned back to Gavin, he sighed. "What do you want?" He asked a bit gruffly. 

"Maybe I just wanted a bit of morning conversation." Gavin shrugged. "Maybe I'm just here for the food." 

"You know I'm still angry with you, right?" Ryan muttered, crossing his arms as he stood before Gavin. "That means I'm not really up for a morning conversation." 

Gavin rolled his eyes, crossing his own arms. "Would you just drop it already? Everyone turned out fine. We still got the money. The police will give up in a few days as usual. A week at most. And besides, it was your fault I got distracted." 

"How the fuck was it my fault!?" Ryan growled, stepping closer. 

"You're the one who told me to look at some guy pissing his pants because you wanted to make sure it was a legitimate Bingo!" Gavin argued, and before he knew it Ryan was shoving him against the counter. 

"I didn't say it had to be right then! And besides, you're the one who let the teller anywhere near that button, and we weren't even prepared to leave before they had gotten there. It's still your fault." 

Finally, Gavin gave up on this, sick of the argument. Instead, he grabbed the front of Ryan's shirt and pulled him down into a rough kiss. Ryan tried to pull away for a moment, but when Gavin moved a hand down to the front of his pants he quickly stopped trying, pressing into the touch instead. Gavin let out a small noise of surprise as Ryan grabbed the back of his thighs and set him up onto the counter, biting at Ryan's lips. When they finally pulled apart, Ryan glared at Gavin despite tugging him closer to the edge of the counter. Gavin only grinned back, reaching up to tangle his hand into Ryan's hair. "Just shut the hell up, Rye." He growled, tugging him back into another kiss as he untied Ryan's pajama pants, pushing them down until they fell to the ground. 

Gavin lifted his arms as Ryan began tugging up his shirt, pulling Ryan back in for another bruising kiss as the shirt hit the ground. His hands moved over Ryan's torso, tracing over the marks he'd left last night that were peaking out from under the tank top the other wore. He pulled his hands away in order to shove down his own pants, grinning slyly at Ryan as the other began stripping his shirt off as well. Once they were both unclothed, Gavin used his legs to pull the other closer, rutting up against him as best as he could from the counter. 

He let out a gasp as Ryan bit down into his neck, in the same spot he had over and over again last night. He knew there'd be a huge ass mark there by time they met up with the others, but he knew he could always pass it off as a bruise from the heist. Gavin let his hands wander, letting one hand move down to grasp at Ryan's ass while the other took them both in hand, smiling as Ryan let out a moan at the contact. 

"Fuck, Gav." Ryan breathed, thrusting his hips in time with Gavin as his own hands moved to grip Gavin's hips harshly, holding him close. "Don't stop." He murmured, the warm breath on Gavin's neck causing him to shiver. 

"Didn't plan on it." Gavin groaned in response, pumping his hand. 

Ryan let out a small growl, shoving his hips into Gavin's as he leaned up for another kiss, tugging on Gavin's lip as he did. Gavin let out a low moan against Ryan's lips, his hand moving up from his ass to tangle into Ryan's hair once more, tugging on it. 

They sat there like that for awhile, biting and tugging each other every which way until finally they came, most of it landing on Gavin's stomach. They both panted out breaths for a moment before Ryan leaned over and grabbed some paper towels from the roll, gently cleaning up Gavin. His touches were all soft now, holding none of the anger Ryan brought into the act itself. Gavin swallowed nervously at this, not sure exactly what was happening. His own hands landed on Ryan's neck as the other leaned in closer to him, pulling him a little closer. 

"I'm sorry." Ryan finally let out, and Gavin gave him a confused look. "It...I guess I was partially responsible for yesterday. I didn't really have a right to yell at you like that." He murmured quietly, and Gavin felt one of his thumbs running over his side gently. 

"It's nothing, really. I'm over it." Gavin mumbled, looking down as he gently pushed Ryan back, hopping off of the counter. It was getting too intimate for him, and he couldn't do this. It was one thing that Ryan and him were fucking, it was another thing entirely when Ryan began to act like they were just friends and there was nothing there between him. It was another thing when Ryan began letting in small touches here and there, especially when Gavin was sure it was only because the other man knew that Gavin loved to soak up attention and any small touches. It was one thing when there were feelings there, that Ryan had no idea about them and didn't realize the affect of them. 

"So...we're good then?" He asked, looking at Gavin with concern. 

Gavin only smiled as he began dressing once more, and reached up to pat Ryan on the shoulder as he'd done many times before. "Yeah. We're good, Rye-bread." He said cheerily, as if nothing was wrong. "I'll probably get some food later, right now there's a level I wanna beat in Halo, and what better time is there to do it when we're trapped in a house for a few days?" 

Before Ryan could even say a word, Gavin left the room. As soon as his back was turned and he was out the door he let his smile falter. Okay, so maybe it he did care that they were doing this. That's what happened when there were strings, they tended to stick around and get tangled up in each other. 

...

Gavin looked up for barely a moment as Ryan came into the room almost an hour later, a plate of food in his hand. "I made you this, figured you'd probably forget to eat like you always do when you play a game." Ryan said, setting the plate down. "Eat something." 

Gavin opened his mouth, ready to let out a small 'thank you', but before he could even utter the words, Ryan had already disappeared down the hall. Gavin's heart dropped more at that, hoping that at least Ryan would sit with him, maybe even join in on the game. Maybe today wasn't really the best time though, he thought. After everything that had happened, Gavin understood if Ryan wanted to be alone. Maybe he'd be able to convince Ryan to play with him later, maybe even start a co-op run. They hadn't done that in almost two weeks, and it'd be nice. 

For now though, Gavin just picked up the plate of food. After taking the first bite, he really wished he'd been able to say thank you. Ryan was a good cook it turned out. He'd have to thank him later, after the other had calmed down. For now though, Gavin just ate in silence, trying to forget about the moment they shared in the kitchen. He realized now that maybe he'd gotten himself in a little too deep when he'd initiated this only a few weeks ago, and kicked himself for the choice. 

Gavin also hoped that maybe one day he'd be able to tell Ryan how he felt, and hoped even more that the other wouldn't reject him.


	5. Chapter 5

Ryan looked over the page once more, but again he didn't read a single word. He sighed as he finally shut the book. His mind was still wandering back to that moment in the kitchen, a moment of truth for him. After their round on the counter, Ryan had felt all the fight leave him. He didn't want to be angry with Gavin anymore, so he'd apologized. He'd even let out a bit of emotion, wanting to maybe hint at Gavin how he felt...and in turn, Gavin had run. Maybe he hadn't realized, mistaking it for how they acted before all this, or maybe he was right and Gavin really didn't like him at all. 

He rubbed a hand over his face, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. For now, Ryan couldn't worry about this. If Gavin didn't feel the same, then that was okay. It's not like Ryan could force him to, right? He left his room, smiling slightly as he heard Gavin celebrating a win in the next room. When he entered, Ryan noticed the empty plate in front of him and was glad he at least ate. "Mind if I join?" Ryan asked, taking a seat next to him after picking up a controller. 

"Yeah, go for it." Gavin said, exiting what he was doing so Ryan could join in. "Finally come out from your cave?" Gavin asked teasingly, and Ryan rolled his eyes. 

"It's not like there's much to do for the next few days except read and play games." He huffed, though he smirked. 

The rest of the day was filled with the two of them in front of the screen and friendly words. They never spoke of the moment they had in the kitchen, but if Ryan was honest, that was probably for the best.

...

It'd been two weeks since that day in the kitchen, and since then there'd been nothing between the two. They seemed to have left it in that safe house, the awkward moment they shared, that side of their relationship. It'd all gone back to normal for them for the most part. And Ryan hated it. 

He hated that they'd at least had something between them, and hated it that as quickly as it had begun it had also dissipated. Especially tonight, as he watched woman after man go up and hit on Gavin every single time that he went over to the bar to get another drink. Ryan looked away as yet another man approached Gavin, instead turning to the darts game him, Jack, and Lindsay had going. "My turn?" He asked, turning back to the two. 

"Yep, I just threw. You think you can do better than that?" Lindsay teased, slapping the air around Jack as she began laughing. "Jack, shut it!" 

The redhead seated behind her just shook her head. "I know you've never played darts with Ryan before, but you gotta know he's gonna win." Jack chuckled, sipping her glass of beer. 

Ryan only smirked at the two, picking up the darts and lining up his shots. "Oh please, he can't be great at everything he does. Besides, darts takes a certain skill set--" She cut herself off as he threw each of his three darts, all landing within the bullseye mark. "Okay, so he's pretty good. Doesn't mean he'll stay this good." She muttered, causing him and Jack to laugh even harder. 

"Well, if you think you can win, then be my guest Lindsay." He said as he took his darts back, gesturing to the board. "I mean, the least you can do is try to beat Jack."

Lindsay just huffed, crossing her arms as Jack got up to stand in front of the board after writing down the score. "If you're gonna be this salty the whole time, I think I need another drink." 

Ryan smiled, shaking his head. "If that's what you need." He picked up his can of diet coke, frowning as he found it empty. "Well, looks like I'm out of diet coke. How about I get that drink? If I win, you gotta pay me back and buy me and Jack a round. If I win, I'll buy you guys a round. If Jack wins, Jack just gets the pleasure of knowing she's won at least once against me." 

"Deal." Jack snickered, throwing her shots. 

"Deal." Lindsay said as well, shooing off Ryan as she wrote down the score. 

Ryan grinned at that, heading back over to the bar and flagging down the bartender. "C'mon, just one drink?" He heard a man saying, and shrugged it off. 

"Like I said before, I'm not interested, though I appreciate the offer." Ryan's eyes snapped over for a moment as he heard Gavin's voice. The guy in front of Gavin had greying hair, and it seemed a little creepy that he was trying to hit on someone as young as Gavin. It made his stomach turn, seeing it. 

"C'mon, please? I promise it'll be worth your time." Ryan noticed the man's hand tightening into a fist on the bar as his voice became more frustrated, and all Gavin did was shake his head. As he turned away, the man's arm shot out, grabbing Gavin's arm and wrenching him back. "One. Drink. That's all I ask." The man said angrily. 

That was the last straw. Ryan finally stepped over to them, looming over where the man sat. "I'm sorry, is there a problem here?" He asked, crossing his arms. He glanced to Gavin, noting the fear in his eyes. Ryan wasn't sure if it was because of the man bothering him or the fact that he knew what Ryan would do, but either way he didn't care as he looked back to the stranger before him. 

The guy rolled his eyes, gently pulling Gavin closer. "Why don't you mind your own business, kid?" 

"How about you let go of him? He's clearly not interested in you." Ryan argued, hoping the guy would take a hint. His hopes went out the window as soon as his grip tightening on Gavin's arm. 

The guy sent an angry look his way, maybe thinking it would intimidate him. "There isn't a problem here, back off." He said, finally letting go of Gavin forcefully as he stood up in front of Ryan. 

Ryan only smiled sweetly, turning to lean against the bar in between him and Gavin. "See, that's not gonna happen. What is going to happen is you're going to call a cab and head home, and if you don't, you don't know what gonna happen." 

"I think I'm good right here." The man tightened his hands into fists, but as he made to take a swing at Ryan he picked up the guy's glass, bashing him over the head with it. 

"I think now is the time to call that cab." Ryan muttered, ignoring the hand Gavin laid on his arm. 

The stranger smiled, standing back up properly. "Why would I do that if we're just getting started?" The man flipped open a knife, one that Ryan kicked himself for not noticing sooner. The guy raised it up as if he was going to slice at Ryan with it, but instead Ryan grabbed his wrist. He slammed it down against the bar before throwing all his weight into breaking the man's arm, loving how his scream sounded. 

"That's enough!" Yelled the bartender, finally stepping between them. "I've got the cops on the line, if you don't want to be here when they get here, you better get out now." 

The hand on his arm tugged him away as he continued to glare at the man who had approached Gavin, now on the floor holding his arm. "C'mon Rye, let's just get out of here." Gavin muttered behind him, pulling him out the door of the bar. Ryan followed him then, ignoring the weird looks he was given from the rest of his crew who'd come out and the other patrons. Gavin led him over to his car, opening the driver's door for him. "Get in." Gavin said, and Ryan rolled his eyes as he got into the car. 

As soon as the door shut, he grabbed out his keys and started the car, letting out a sigh. He jumped a bit as Gavin got into the passenger seat, frowning. "You should go back inside with the rest of them, Geoff will worry--" 

"Just drive, Ryan." Gavin cut in angrily, crossing his arms. "I'll text Geoff and let him know you're giving me a ride home. I don't want to go back in anyway." 

Ryan only shrugged, putting his car into gear. The car ride was silent, even as Ryan pulled up to Gavin's apartment complex, pulling into his garage. As he put the car into park, he turned to Gavin. "You good?" He asked. 

"I'm fine." Gavin mumbled, though he didn't move, seeming to be lost in thought. "Wanna come in?" He asked, turning to look at Ryan. 

Ryan thought for a moment before he shut off the car. "Sure." He said, getting out to follow Gavin upstairs. 

As soon as they stepped foot into the apartment and the door was shut Gavin turned to face him. "I can't believe you." He huffed, crossing his arms. 

"What, was it bad that I stepped in?" Ryan asked, standing up straighter. 

"I had it under control, Ryan!" 

"Yeah, sure seemed like it at the time." He snarled back, stepping closer. 

Gavin took a step closer as well. "It was going fine, I can defend myself. I didn't need any damn help, Rye."

Ryan rolled his eyes at that. Finally he closed the space between them as he grabbed for Gavin's face, planting an angry kiss on him. Instead of pushing him off like Ryan expected, Gavin pulled him closer, letting his frustrations flow through his biting kisses. Ryan let his hands come up and begin to undo the buttons on Gavin's shirt, shoving it from his shoulders before he began guiding him towards the bedroom. 

...

Hours later left Ryan sitting at the edge of the bed collecting his clothes. He turned his head to look back at Gavin as he pulled his pants on. "Really, smoking in bed?" He asked as he saw the cigarette in his hand. 

Gavin only shrugged in response. "Why not?" He asked, offering the cigarette to Ryan. 

"Thought you couldn't smoke in here." Ryan said as he took the cigarette, inhaling deeply. He closed his eyes at the feel of the smoke filling his lungs with sweet nicotine. It'd been too long since his last cigarette. 

"You can't." Gavin smirked, taking the cigarette back. 

Ryan laughed at that, smiling wider at the grin that broke out across Gavin's face. "Gavin Free, once more breaking the rules. How am I not surprised?" He asked, laughing again when Gavin pushed him lightly. 

Gavin leaned back against the headboard once more, taking another hit off of the cigarette. "Ryan, so mean." He huffed before blowing out the smoke. 

Ryan slipped on his shirt, shaking his head. "Oh please, you nearly ran me over last week." 

"On accident!" 

"Still counts." Ryan hummed, standing up and taking the cigarette back for a moment, taking another drag. He blew out the smoke into Gavin's face, grinning as the other squawked. He chuckled, handing him the cigarette back. "Alright, I gotta head out." He said, pulling back as Gavin pouted. 

"What, going back to water your plants?" He rolled his eyes teasingly. 

Ryan pulled on his jacket as he laughed again. "Yes, actually. I didn't get to water them earlier because we went to the bar." 

Gavin nodded, putting out the cigarette against his night stand. "Oh, right." He said, stretching. For a moment he paused, looking up at Ryan. "Thanks, by the way." 

Ryan raised his eyebrow as he moved to lean against the doorframe. "Thought you were mad at me about that." 

The other only shrugged once more, smirking. "Well, the guy was making it hard for me to get laid anyway." He chuckled, putting his hands on the back of his head. "Though, it looks like I won in the end anyway. I got laid, didn't I?" 

Ryan picked up Gavin's shirt from the doorway, throwing it at him as he laughed. "You're ridiculous." 

Gavin only threw the shirt back, grinning. "Get out of here. I'll see you tomorrow, you pleb." 

Ryan rolled his eyes at that, flipping off Gavin as he left. He smiled as he realized that the night hadn't ended as bad as he'd thought it would.


	6. Chapter 6

Gavin looked up as he heard his door open. His brow furrowed as he saw Ryan tiptoeing in. "What's up, Rye-bread?" He asked softly, watching as he slowly crawled into Gavin's bed. 

"Couldn't sleep." Ryan hummed, wrapping an arm around Gavin's waist. 

"So you came all the way to my apartment?" Gavin asked, his heart racing for a moment.

Ryan seemed to think about it for a moment behind him and shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood. It's better if you don't ask." 

Gavin rolled his eyes, settling into the bed properly once more. As he closed his eyes and began letting sleep take over once more. He would have fallen asleep again, though he felt a hand making its way down his body. He smirked for a moment as he felt the drawstrings on his pants loosen. "You can't sleep so you go on some unimaginable spree of destruction I'm assuming, then you come over and make it so I can't sleep?" He laughed a bit as he felt another shrug behind him. 

"Pretty much, yeah." Ryan whispered, slipping his hand into Gavin's pants to wrap around him. Gavin gasped at the feeling, biting his lip as he rolled his hips into Ryan's hand. He closed his eyes as he felt teeth dragging along his neck up towards his ear. "Though if you're really that upset about not sleeping I could leave now and just go home."

Gavin's hand shot up to Ryan's wrist as the hand began slowly retracting, turning to face the gent with heady eyes. "There are worse reasons to be woken up in the middle of the night." He hummed, guiding Ryan's hand back to his cock as he turned onto his back. 

Ryan just chuckled at that, leaning his head down to bite a mark into Gavin's shoulder. "You're not wrong there." He murmured into his skin. 

For a moment Gavin let himself revel in the feeling of Ryan pressed up against him, lips mouthing along his shoulder and one hand in his pants. He smirked as he got an idea in his head, promptly rolling over and shoving Ryan against the bed. He grinned down at the confused gent as he straddled Ryan's hips and ground down on them, causing a gasp to escape the older's lips. Gavin's head lifted just for a moment towards the clock, then back down to Ryan. "You woke me up an hour before I had to start getting ready to go meet Geoff?" He huffed, tugging at Ryan's bloodstained shirt. 

"Well, maybe part of this was just so i could use your shower." Ryan laughed as he lifted off the bed to take off his shirt.

"You're an arse, Rye." Gavin muttered, leaning down to kiss at Ryan's chest. 

As he felt a hand come up and begin running through his hair, Gavin closed his eyes, moving down the expanse of pale skin before him. "You say that but I feel like you're not that upset." Gavin bit down on Ryan's ribs at that. 

Instead of the expected reaction to the bite, a low rumble of a moan reverberated through Ryan's chest, going straight to Gavin's groin. The lad licked at the bruising skin before him before he let himself fall between Ryan's legs and settle in. As he began undoing Ryan's pants, he looked up and nodded towards his bedside table, indicating what he wanted from there.

He tugged down Ryan's jeans as the other opened the drawer, throwing down a condom and lube as the jeans hit the floor. "Woke me up for sex but didn't even have the decency to remove your trousers." Gavin grumbled as he kissed along the hips laid out in front of him. 

"Hey, when you think with your dick, sometimes things don't happen the most efficiently." Ryan countered, watching sedately as Gavin picked up the lube and popped the cap. "Besides, they came off anyway."

All words were cut off as Gavin slowly slipped a finger into Ryan, sucking a mark into his thigh. It didn't take long before Gavin had three fingers in Ryan while the man below him panted and groaned as he moved his hips against the hand, seeking more. Gavin leaned up, pressing soft kisses into Ryan's skin. It was rare that when this happened Gavin had Ryan in this position. Might as well take advantage of it, right? "What do you want?" Gavin murmured quietly into Ryan's ear before nibbling on his earlobe.

"You, want you. Need more." Ryan gasped as his hands came up to grip Gavin's back. "Please, Gavin."

Gavin smiled at that as he picked up the condom and slid his fingers from Ryan. He let his movements stay slow as he opened up the wrapper and pulled out the condom. He loved the way Ryan squirmed impatiently beneath him, so eager. Gavin grinned slyly down at him as Ryan looked up at him with a pleading look, begging for Gavin to get on with it.

Finally, Gavin slid on the condom and pushed into Ryan slowly. The gent gasped from under him, and Gavin placed one hand on Ryan's shoulder and one on his hip. He tugged Ryan into each thrust just how he knew Ryan liked. He loved every moment of this, loved every sound Ryan made, loved how when Gavin moved Ryan moved wordlessly with him to accommodate for it. The longer they went the more Gavin got lost in Ryan, and when he shifted, his hand slipped from Ryan's shoulder to his neck. Immediately Gavin went to move his hand away but he was stopped by a hand firmly grasping his wrist. "Don't. Just keep going." Ryan murmured. His pupils were blown with lust and his eyes were wide as he stared up at Gavin.

"Don't need to be told twice." Gavin purred and trusted in faster. Strangler enough, he loved the feel of the swallows and moans against his hand, like feeling them leave Ryan's throat. He felt himself getting closer to the edge and tightened his hands on Ryan's body. He was a little surprised to see Ryan come just from the way Gavin's hand tightened, and the thought of that alone was enough to send Gavin over the edge. "Fuck, Ryan!" He cried out, thrusting through their orgasms. 

He collapsed next to the gent and let out a few deep breaths. His head turned as he heard a breathy laugh from beside him. "That was... Unexpectedly, incredibly hot." Ryan croaked out with another laugh. 

Gavin chuckled as he pulled off the condom, tying it off and throwing it in the trash. "Yeah, that was something else." He breathed out, trying to catch his breath. For a moment he thought about leaning over and kissing Ryan, about throwing his arms around the other man, but he stopped himself. This was it, there wasn't anything else to this. Just sex. 

"So, mind if I borrow your shower?" Ryan asked, sitting up. Gavin could only nod from beside him. "Thanks, I appreciate it." Ryan hummed as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"The towels on the rack are fresh." Gavin informed Ryan as he picked up his clothing. 

"Got it, thanks!" Ryan said as he headed into the bathroom without even bothering to close the door. As the shower started up Gavin got up and started looking through this drawers for clean clothes. "You know what I didn't think about? The fact that my face paint is at home." He heard Ryan call out from the bathroom. 

"So, just go to work without it. It's high time you showed the lads what you really look like." Gavin hummed. "And you can wear your mask around anyone else. You'll be fine, trust me." 

It was quiet for a moment before Ryan replied. "Yeah, you're right. It's probably time." He agreed. There was another pause. "Is it today or tomorrow that Geoff wanted to make us all breakfast?" 

"Today. It's Ray's last day before he runs off to be a contract killer, remember?" Gavin called out as he buttoned up his shirt. "I guess today is as good as any to show everyone."

"Yeah, I guess so." Ryan hummed thoughtfully. Gavin could only imagine what was going through his mind. 

"  
Gavin slipped on his shoes before grabbing his wallet and his phone. "Alright, I'm gonna head out. I'm gonna lock the door before I leave, so when you head out it'll already be locked. I'll see you at work, Rye-bread." Gavin called out.

"See you at work." Gavin smiled softly before heading out of the bedroom. As he grabbed his keys he bit his lip, closing his eyes. Maybe he could go back, give Ryan a real kiss and ask him on a proper date, maybe--

When he heard the shower turn off, he let out a sigh. He couldn't do that. They were just friends who just so happened to sleep with each other every now and then. Eventually Ryan would find some other guy or girl to sleep with, someone he actually liked, and he'd leave Gavin in the dust. Besides, he didn't want to ruin what they had going now, even if it was for selfish reasons. He opened the door and walked out, leaving Ryan behind in his apartment.


	7. Chapter 7

Geoff narrowed his eyes as he watched Gavin and Ryan. Things between them had been off for weeks now, and today was no exception. 

It started really when everyone was sat down for the beautiful breakfast he, Griffon, and Jack had prepared this morning. Ryan had walked in a little late, but still at a reasonable time, but he hadn't even spared a glance to where Gavin was sitting with Ray and Michael. Things once again became weird when Ryan took off his mask to reveal a clean face. Everyone was surprised, because how could they _not_ be?? They had never seen his actual face before! But Gavin...Gavin didn't seem surprised at all. In fact, he even smirked a bit. Geoff didn't know what was going on, but he sure as hell would find out. 

And that brought him back to the present. There was definitely something off about them. He watched from where he was sat next to Jack as all of the guys bickered over something or other. 

"Fucking fight me..." He heard Ray mutter, smirking as Ryan stood up and cracked his knuckles. 

"Okay." Ryan grinned, taking one step towards Ray. That was all it took for the other to begin backtracking so fast it wasn't even funny. Finally, Geoff noticed Gavin bring up a hand to Ryan's arm and Gavin give the other man a firm look. No one else seemed to notice, but Geoff did, and Geoff knew if anyone else (even him, let's be honest) had done anything like that Ryan would have broken their hand or glared back with ferocity. But now... Now he just had a fake pout on his face, one that swiftly turned to a smile as he sat back down.

Of course though, Ryan sent one last glare Ray's way, causing the lad to get up and bolt from the room. In his wake he left Michael and Ryan laughing so hard they nearly fell out of their seats, and things only proceeded to get weirder from there. Geoff tensed in his seat as Gavin smacked Ryan on the arm, glaring up at him once more. "Ryan, look what you've done!"

Ryan only pouted once more as Michael laughed harder. "Aww, it was just a joke!" Ryan chuckled. 

"You've gone and scared off my X-ray!" Gavin huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Oh what, are you dating him now?" Lindsay asked from her seat, smirking. 

Gavin just glared at her silently with a smirk, but Ryan's demeanor changed at the comment. He seemed to slump in his seat at that, and as Michael began laughing at how Gavin reacted Ryan turned to him and glared. Right then and there Geoff knew there was something between them, something that Gavin hadn't told him about. Geoff turned away as Jack said something, putting the whole thing out of his mind. 

...

Geoff noticed it again later that day when he was sat down with Lindsay, Ray, Ryan, and Gavin. Of course, Gavin had yet another weird hypothetical to share. "So you're telling me that I can get one million dollars and all it takes is someone putting their finger up my butt every night just as I get to sleep?" Lindsay asked, before shrugging. "I mean, it's not that bad, but I kind of like my sleep. I wouldn't like being woken up by a finger up my butt."

"Can I choose who puts the finger up my butt?" Geoff asked. "I mean, is it's stranger, is it a friend...?"

"It has to be a friend." Gavin answered. 

Ryan scoffed at that, setting down his can of Diet Coke. "C'mon, what's a finger up the ass between friends? Gimme the money and I'll do it." 

Geoff ignored Lindsay explaining how a finger up the ass between friends would make the relationship weird and instead focussed on the redness that suddenly invaded Gavin's cheeks. He looked over at Ryan, noting the weird look on his face, like he knew exactly why Gavin was blushing about. Was it some inside joke with them? Did Gavin share a story with Ryan about something similar that happened in the past? Or maybe... There was something there? Maybe there was something between the two of them. Geoff sipped at his drink as he continued thinking about it. 

If there was something between them Geoff wouldn't be mad. Hell, honestly he'd probably be grateful. Ryan would be able to protect Gavin and he already keeps him out of a lot of trouble, if they got together he'd keep him from even more trouble, or at least be there to help out. Honestly, Geoff didn't know what was going on, but he knew that there was something there. There had to be, right?

...

It was later that night before Geoff brought any of it up, but he didn't want to bring it up just yet. Everyone had decided to stay here in the spare rooms, most of them having drank too much when they were sending off Ray. He picked up his glass of whiskey as he turned to Jack and Griffon beside him. "Do you think there's anything going on between Ryan and Gav?" Geoff asked her. Both her and Griffon turned their attention towards him. 

"What do you mean?" Griffon asked, frowning.

Geoff sighed before taking a drink and setting his glass down once more. "Like do you think there's anything between them? Like, more than friends?" 

Jack and Griffon stared at him blankly for a moment before Jack piped up. "Is Ryan even capable of normal human emotions? Would he even be able to have a relationship with anyone?" She asked. 

"I don't know, he doesn't seem like that big of a sociopath to me." Griffon hummed.

"Yeah, but have you seen him interact with other human beings? He's not really the type to get close to anyone. Hell everyone just saw his clean face today for the first time. We've been working with him for almost a full year now." Jack pointed out. 

Geoff watched as Griffon shrugged at that. "I think that was because of something different. I don't know. But it's clear he could eventually trust someone enough to be in a proper relationship." 

Jack just shrugged back. "I don't know, it would take a lot of trust, trust I don't really think he has with any of us yet." Jack took a sip of her water as she looked between the two of them. "And Geoff? I think if there was really something between the two of them someone would have heard about it by now. If Ryan trusts anyone it's Meg and Lindsay, and by now one of them would have said something I'm sure."

Geoff nodded at that. Jack did have a point, if he was honest. "Yeah, I think you're right. I guess maybe I'm just seeing things." He murmured as he picked up his glass. As Jack and Griffon went back to their earlier conversation, Geoff got to thinking. Maybe there was _something_ there, despite what Jack said. Geoff just needed to find his opening to get them together. If there was nothing there and Geoff was just seeing things that weren't there, then that was fine... But if there was a chance, Geoff had to take it. 

...

 

Gavin's heart fell as he stood outside the kitchen door, listening in on the others' conversation. He'd been so close to asking Ryan out on a proper date. This morning he had decided against it, but after today he had said fuck it and he was ready to finally ask. It was too late now, though. Now that he knew all of that. Jack had made perfect sense. If there was anything then Ryan would have said something to Meg or Lindsay, right? 

Gavin pulled out his phone as he felt a vibration in his pocket, reading the text that he'd been sent. _You're the one who wanted me to meet you outside, so where are you?_ His heart thudded in his chest as he realized he'd almost forgotten about Ryan. He couldn't go out there like this, not with so many doubts. He crept away from the kitchen door as he reached into his pocket once more for his coke. Before he headed outside he had a small bump, shaking his head for a moment before placing his phone and his coke back into his pocket. Now he was ready, even if it wouldn't really be the same now.


	8. Chapter 8

Ryan looked up from the game of solitare he was playing on his phone as he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Hm?" He murmured, looking between Lindsay and Meg. The three of them were on a stakeout mission after Geoff had been tipped off to a possible drug deal going down on his territory, one that wasn't from their crew.

"Oh nothing, I just asked if you wanted to come out drinking with us after this. Be our designated driver?" Lindsay asked, batting her eyelashes.

Ryan rolled his eyes at the two of them. "Maybe I have plans." He pointed out. He didn't, but he wasn't going to give in that easily. It took a little more than some eyelashes being batted for him to say yes. 

"Do these plans of yours have anything to do with this?" Meg asked as she ran a finger over a spot on his neck. 

He quickly removed his mask and threw down the visor, looking in the mirror at where her finger had been. Ryan let out a sigh as he saw a deep mark there, where Gavin had been sucking at the skin without a single care in the world. "Gonna fucking kill him." He muttered as he ran his own finger over the mark. 

"Oh, so this mystery person is a him?" Lindsay smiled as she looked out the window. "Interesting. So who is it?" 

"It's gotta be someone we know or he would have told us already." Meg reached from the backseat and draped her arms over Ryan's shoulders. "C'mon Ryan, who is it?" 

"It was just some guy I met at a bar last night." He lied, his heart beating fast in his chest. "Really, it was nothing."

Meg tsked at that as she looked over to Lindsay. Clearly neither of them believed him. "Lindsay, who do you think it is? Maybe Jeremy?" 

Lindsay scoffed at that. "No way, Jeremy and Matt basically crawl all over each other. If those two aren't banging yet they will be soon. Trevor?" 

Meg shook her head and ignored how Ryan just put on his mask and tried to tune them out. "Doesn't seem like Ryan's type. Kerry maybe?"

"Pfft, Kerry is way too scared of Ryan for that." Lindsay snickered. "Oh, is it Ray? Is there really a connection in the R and R Connection?" She grinned, nudging at Ryan's side. 

"Hell no." Ryan muttered as he looked out the windshield. Still no activity. Ryan was beginning to think maybe the intel had been wrong. 

Meg chuckled as she leaned her head on the side of his headrest, her hands still on his shoulders. "Well, if we're going off of team names then you missed the gayest one, Team Love and Stuff! It's Gavin, right?" She hummed smugly. 

Ryan pushed her hands off of him and pulled away. "Can we just focus on the mission at hand?" He snapped at the two of them. This in turn caused them both to look at each other. 

They were both blissfully silent, and for a moment Ryan thought that maybe they would drop the issue. He was very wrong when he heard Meg speak up once more. "I think we struck a nerve there. It's gotta be Gavin. How adorable." She hummed. 

Ryan let out a groan as he turned in his seat to face her. He glared at her coldly from behind the mask to get his point across. "Just drop it, okay? What goes on in my bedroom is none of your business."

"So how long have you two been banging? Because depending on the time frame a lot of things would make a lot of sense suddenly." Lindsay asked with a grin, and he just sighed as he sat back in his seat.

When he didn't answer they started pestering him again. "C'mon, we won't tell anyone!"

"We never do!"

"I actually think it's kinda sweet."

"I think you two make an adorable couple--"

"We're not a couple!" He hissed at the two of them, glaring back and forth. "We're not a couple, we never were a couple, and we will never be a couple." As he turned back around he felt Meg's arms disappear from his shoulders as she backed off. He glad for the silence right now, after all it was a bit hard to really say that out loud. It's something he's known all along, that it was just them using each other right now. As much as Ryan wanted to take it up a notch, he didn't think Gavin would want to. Why would he? 

His thoughts were cut off as Meg spoke up again, this time with a more serious tone. "So how long has it been going on?" She asked. 

Ryan was quiet for a moment as he looked down at his phone. Guess it was time to fess up to someone. It would be good to get this off his chest. "About two and a half months?"

"Two and a half-- are you kidding me?? And you didn't tell us?" Lindsay exclaimed as she turned to him.

"I didn't think it would last this long!" Ryan protested. "It's not like it's a relationship, it's just sex." His head turned as he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. It was over at the house they had been watching, and he recognized the two men going up to the door. Both were mercenaries, people he had once worked with back in his own merc days. Something wasn't right, there was no one with them and he knew you didn't send just mercs to a drug deal. Ryan quickly unbuckled his seat belt before turning to the girls in the car. "Stay here. If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, drive away and head back to Geoff's. If after that I'm not back by tomorrow night, tell him to send people out to look for me."

"Wait, what?" Meg said as she looked to the house. "Why--"

"Something's wrong, this is a trap. No need for all of us to be taken and I can handle myself. Just do what I say, got it?" Ryan snapped. Before either of them could say anymore he climbed out of the car. 

It only took him a few minutes to creep around the back of the house and avoid all windows in sight. He lifted his head to check the inside of the only window in the back, and when he found the room (a laundry room with an age old washer and dryer set) empty he tried to lift the window. To his surprise he found it unlocked and easy to open. It may have been part of the trap, but at the same time this house clearly belonged to a crackhead of some kind, so the possibility of said crackhead being careless was high. Once he was inside he placed a hand on his hip, near his gun. Better to be safe than sorry, of course. 

Ryan made sure his footfalls were soft so as not to alert anyone to his presence. Two mercs he knew of were in this house, and he did not want to be found this quickly. The house was strangely silent as he made his way through, which made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He didn't like this, not one bit. As he rounded the corner of a door, he came face to face with a man with a big grin holding a bat, but as he reached for his gun he realized it was too late; the man had already swung the bat, much more prepared than Ryan had been. As he fell to the ground he heard the voices of the merc he knew all to well from the jobs they had been on so long ago, and the voice of a stranger. Probably the bait they hired who was supposed to lure him in. 

"Woo, we got ourselves a Vagabond! Looks like we'll be sitting pretty for awhile now."

"Definitely, bet the boss will pay us a lot extra for this." Ryan's vision swam as he lay on the ground. He could feel the blood pouring out of his broken nose as he blinked slowly. "I sure wasn't expecting this. Looks like our old pal is getting a bit sloppy." The man snickered as he leaned down and tugged off the mask. "Aww, look at you. So nice to see you again."

Ryan glared up at Edgar and Reggie as they squatted above him, but the blood trickling from his nose prevented him from responding. His vision went black as a fist came down hard on his head, knocking him out cold. 

...

When Ryan came back to consciousness, he found himself tied to a chair in the middle of a dimly-lit room. On one end he found Reggie talking in hushed voice to Edgar. The gun on his hip was gone from its holster, and from the feel of it so were the ones from his shoulder holsters. He moved his hands around a bit and found the rope knotted around them to have been sloppily tied. It made him think neither Reggie or Edgar had been the ones to tie him up, meaning there might not be alone in the building. Still, it wasn't certain. He was pretty sure he remembered a target once escaping Reggie's bonds before, and Ryan was not happy about having to chase him down. 

"Welcome to the land of the living!" Reggie exclaimed as he noticed Ryan awake, giving him a slow clap. "Gotta say, you're a surprise. We figured one of the main people from Ramsey's crew would show up, but never in a million years did we expect it to be you." As Reggie talked Ryan began working on the ropes around his wrists. 

"Well, I didn't expect to see you either. You don't see me getting excited over it." Ryan responded dryly. "So, what's up with the trap? In my opinion, it was sloppily executed."

"It got us you, didn't it?" Reggie spit back, taking a seat in the chair across from Ryan as Edgar moved to stand beside him. "And we have a very good reason for what happened. See, our employer is very interested in the dealings of the Fake AH Crew, very interested in taking over the city from the Fakes, has been for awhile now, but any time someone gets their hands on one of you, you somehow escape. He's paying a lot of money to take you guys out, but he's also very interested in why Ramsey has been making deals for ordinance and why he's hired a hacker." Ryan's hands were nearly free now, he was so close. "So, we'd like to ask you some questions about what's going on within the crew."

Ryan smiled as he finally got his hands free. "Of course, ask away. I'll be happy to tell you anything you would like."

The stunned faces that both men in the room had adapted were priceless. "Wait, seriously??" Reggie asked in disbelief. 

Ryan chuckled at that, leaning back in his chair. "Of course. Wanna hear about our biggest heist plan yet? Much better than our last, but to be fair, Gavin planned that. See, it starts off with us getting masks. Of course, any great heists has masks. Anyway the hacker is helping us get into the security system of the Maze bank. Yeah, even bigger than the one just downtown. The ordinance is obvious. Gotta have a lot for a job like that. Right now we're trying to get a copter. Should be easy." As he spoke, he worked on getting his bonds undone from his wrists. This is why he used duct tape more often; it stuck longer and was a lot harder to get off. "Anyway they're getting three new shipments of cash in just another week. We're expecting a take of probably three to four million if out information is correct. Even if it's not we'll still walk away with almost two mil."

Edgar stared on silently, stoic as ever, while Reggie openly gaped at him. "I...never really took you for a team player, or a snitch. This is all good information, and Glambo is gonna love it, but... Why tell us all of this?"

Ryan smiled back sweetly as he finally pulled the rope loose from his wrists, wrapping it around one of his hands. "C'mon guys, you gotta know why!" He looked between the two, only to see them both wearing confused expressions. "Well, lemme spell it out for you then." Ryan's smile dropped from his face. "It's because neither of you are leaving here alive."

Before either of them could react past raising their eyebrows in surprise Ryan kicked out a leg and hit Edgar right in the side of the knee, sending him falling to the ground. The other leg came up and hit Reggie square in the bottom of the jaw and sent him into a daze. Ryan lunged forward and wrapped the rope around Reggie's throat, using it to tug the other man to the ground. Edgar moved to make a stand and a grab for his gun, but Ryan quickly countered it with a swift kick to the gut and another up onto his back before he finally wrapped both his legs around Edgar's neck. He pulled the quiet man closer until he was smashed between his thighs, just good enough for Ryan to quickly twist enough to break his neck. 

Once Edgar was out of the picture Ryan turned his full attention to the other man in the room. Beford he moved any further, he used one hand to take both of Reggie's wrists and pin them behind his back while the other had a firm grasp on the rope. He placed a knee on Reggie's back as to keep him firmly pinned to the floor. "You know what? I might actually spare you. I mean, you're the one who loves talking. Not that dumbass over there could talk even if he wanted to, from what I heard. No tongue would make it hard. Regardless, you're a talker. So talk. Tell me who Glambo is, tell me why he's so interested in my crew's doings." He demanded as he tugged the rope tighter in order give him a better... Incentive to talk.

Reggie choked as the rope tightened around his neck. Ryan could hear him swallowing as he tried to keep from choking too much. "Look, I don't have anything to say man, I ain't no snitch--" Reggie was cut off as Ryan tightened the rope again. He knew it wouldn't take too much longer for Reggie to spill. The man had always been a coward, especially in the face of death. "Okay!" Reggie coughed out quietly. "He's just some guy, I swear!" 

Ryan pretended to think about it for a moment, letting out a small hum. "Somehow I doubt that. Who is he? If you give me an answer, I might let you take the information I just gave you and skip town. Maybe you can sweet talk your way into another partner, since the other has... Taken an indefinite leave of absence." Ryan loosened the rope once more so Reggie could talk. "If you don't plan to tell me then I find you useless and I guess that will mean I don't need you. Pick a side, make a choice. Well start off with something easy. Who is Glambo?"

The man hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I..." He choked out. 

"Here, I'll make the decision easier. You have til the count of ten. One, two, three, four, five, six--"

"Wait! I'll tell you." He cried out as his wrists struggled against Ryan's hand. "Glambo Jonez, with a Z. He's the guy who hired us to take one of you out. We figured we might get more money if we got one of you talking first, yknow? And we were hoping for Mogar or Vav or even Doolz honestly, but you fell into our laps. He's paying top dollar for you, Beardo, and Vav. You cost the most, so we were excited."

"Thank you for your cooperation, but Im gonna need a bit more. Why is he trying to take us out? Tick tock" Ryan hummed sweetly.

Reggie whimpered as the rope tightened just the smallest of amounts. "Don't you know? He's Glasgow's right hand man. From what I heard Glasgow teamed up with the Corpirate. I don't know anything else, I swear. Now we had a deal, let me go! I promise I won't come back, and I won't tell anyone about what you told me." Reggie cried out as a squirmed under Ryan. 

Ryan only chuckled at that. "I didn't say I would let you go, I said I might. I don't think that constitutes as a deal. But you are right about one thing; you won't be telling anyone anything. Ever again." As he spoke the words he pulled the rope tighter against Reggie's neck very slowly. He knew he shouldn't play around, his team needed him back and he had no idea how much time had gone past since he'd been taken, but he's waited _so long_ to shut Reggie up for good. The constant talking on every job they worked together on in the past, the way he was so smug and overconfident, he had been wanting this for so long. So he savored the moment, reveled in the way the man began shaking as he useless tried to gasp for air. There would be no more air to fill the man's lungs, no more to come in and give him the breath he needed to talk. Just how Ryan liked it. 

In a matter of minutes, Reggie stopped moving complete, and Ryan knew he wouldn't be here much longer. Only a little longer and the man would be gone just like his partner. When the room was finally silent and there was no longer a pulse, he fished into Reggie's pockets until he found a gun.

Before Ryan left he pulled out the dead man's wallet and took the entire three hundred bucks from there and did the same with Edgar as well. Mercs or not, thet were still horrible and it's not like they're gonna use it.

Reggie owed him money anyway.


	9. Chapter 9

"Reggie gave me all the information I needed, so I killed him as well. Then I began making my way back here, and along the way Kerry found me and picked me up." 

Geoff held his face in his hands for a moment as he listened. "So what you're saying is both the Corpirate and Bork are after us?" 

"That's correct sir." Ryan answered with a nod. 

Geoff looked over at Jack, who held an expression full of worry on her face. "Alright, thank you. You're good to go for now. You should get some rest anyhow." 

Ryan nodded in acknowledgement before he stood and left the room. He'd had a tiring night and just needed a bit of rest. He was glad that no one stopped him on his way to his room. He didn't need any comment from anyone. As soon as he entered he shut the door and rested against it. He let out a sigh before beginning to strip and head to the bathroom. He needed a shower desperately. 

...

Gavin's head lifted as Ryan entered back into his room. "Rye-bread! My favorite pal."

Ryan seemed to pause in the doorway with his hand tightening on his towel. "What're you doing in here? Geoff said you'd been working with that hacker." Ryan said as he headed towards the bed. 

"Maybe I just wanted to see you." Gavin smirked before he began humming a listless tune.

It was then that Ryan seemed to understand. "How much have you had?"

"Pfft, two drinks and one line. That's it, I swear." Gavin lied as his hand moved to run along Ryan's thigh, pushing up the towel a bit. 

"You sure?" Ryan asked. Gavin only sat up and moved his lips to his neck. 

"I'm fine. Really. I just need some human contact, and--" _and you're the only one I want it from._ It didn't matter how much he'd had, he still knew what he was doing and what he wanted, and he still knew he couldn't finish that sentence. 

"And what, think you can't go out and pick someone up like this?" Ryan's voice wavered just slightly as Gavin's hand moved under the towel. 

"Something like that." Gavin murmured. 

...

It was almost as if Ryan hadn't even been captured. He knew it hadn't been for long, only about a day, but after Geoff made the proper arrangements it was almost as if it disappeared. 

It was almost two weeks after Ryan had come back with that black eye and the story of murder. Now the black eye was pretty much as faded as the incident seemed. 

Gavin didn't know why that bothered him, but it made him want to go out and get his mind off of it. "We should dress up and go to an art gallery and pretend of buy art." He spoke up, lifting his head off of where it was resting in Meg's lap. Most everyone they were all close to in the crew was here, and Gavin thought it would be fun if they went and did that. 

"Oh, uh, sorry, I think I'm busy...whenever you plan to do that." Matt said as Trevor, Kdin, and Jeremy nodded along. 

"I won't lie like them... Shit's super lame and boring." Ray said without even looking up from the game him, Lindsay, and Michael were playing.

"Same. I'd rather stay here and actually have fun." Michael chimed in. 

"Yeah, see I would, but, I would end up spending way too much money." Jack hummed. 

"I'd do it." Ryan shrugged, and Gavin nudged him with the legs he was resting on his lap. 

"Ryan's willing! C'mon, it'll be fun." Gavin pouted, then looked up at Meg. "How about you? Will you come with us?"

Gavin noticed the way Meg's eyes flickered up and over to Geoff with a smile. "You know what Gavin? Yes, I will. Geoff will too. He's got that kind of look to him. Is there one open and selling?" She asked. 

"I wouldn't have asked if there wasn't. There's one at 7pm tonight." Gavin scoffed. 

"Oh, uh, if we're going tonight I need to go, y'know, actually get a suit..."

Geoff stood up then and headed over the couch the three of them were on. He shoved Gavin's legs off of Ryan forcefully, causing Gavin to let out a whine. "C'mon Ryan, I know a guy. He's super expensive but you're worth the money. It'll be my treat."

...

"Turney,I think we should have gone with the blue. Are you sure the green looks good?" Gavin fidgeted with his tie from the passenger side of her car. 

"Yes, it looks great. Makes your eyes pop." She hummed as she put the car into park. "Geoff says him and Ryan will be here soon, he'll park next to us." 

Gavin sighed impatiently. He knew they should have all taken the same vehicle, then they wouldn't be stuck having to wait on them. "Well, if we're gonna be waiting forever then we might as well get out and enjoy the fresh air." Gavin sighed as he climbed out of the car. They were near one of the bays, and the smell of saltwater was thick in the air. It was nice, being by the sea, his friend with him. 

Gavin and Meg turned as Ryan's Zentorno pulled up, and Gavin nearly choked on his own spit when he saw Ryan. Geoff hadn't just taken him to his guy, he'd hooked him up. The suit fit him perfectly, and the mix of a red tie and solid black suit didn't look weird or make him seem like he was overcompensating like it did for other people. No, it looked like it _belonged_ on him. 

"Well, don't you two look great." Meg grinned at the two approaching. "Like proper rich men looking for great pieces of art." 

"More like looking for great pieces of ass. If you don't think I'm getting laid tonight and showing off my fancy penthouse you would be wrong. I already cleared it out." Geoff scoffed. 

"Aww, what would your wife say about that Geoffry?" Meg asked, leading them all towards the building. 

"You say that as if he's not going to the bar right after this and pretending he's picking up Griffon." Ryan chuckled.

Geoff shrugged. "Yeah, you're not wrong. But she's so pretty." Geoff hummed. He was cut off as his phone rang, and he stopped in his tracks. "What?" He asked. 

The call didn't last long, and when he hung up he looked annoyed. "What's up?" Gavin asked.

"I need to take Meg and go. Something happened, and well, I hired her for a reason. Don't worry about it though, it'll be fixed in the morning. Have fun, alright?"

Ryan and Gavin looked between both of them and back at each other, then nodded. "I'll give Gav a ride home after we leave. We'll be fine."

"Alright, we'll see you later." Meg smiled before looping her arm into Geoff's and leading him back towards her car. 

They watched as the two of them left before they turned and headed back towards the building. Tonight would still be good. Just him and Ryan. 

...

They spent most of the night circling around the room. They both had more than enough money to buy out the entire place, but there wasn't much Gavin liked and Ryan didn't want to waste that much money. 

They finally came across a piece that looked really good. It was violent and angry and red, yet it had softer edges around it. It looked like graffiti that should belong on one of the many walls of Los Santos, but at the same time looked at home on the canvas in front of him. All Gavin could think when he looked at it was Ryan. "Now there's a piece to hang above the mantle." Gavin hummed as he looked to Ryan. 

Ryan shook his head and looked back at Gavin. "Hm?"

Gavin laughed. "Like it that much, Rye?" He chuckled. "You should buy it. It would look good in your living room. In fact, it kind of matches your couch."

"Yeah, well, that couch is also covered in the blood of man who broke in and tried to rob me once." Ryan mumbled quietly, causing Gavin to laugh. 

"Still. Buy it. You know you want to" 

"Nah, saving up for a yacht. Those are very expensive." Ryan smiled, heading off to go do...something. 

While Ryan was gone, Gavin approached artist selling the piece tonight. She was kind and humble about the piece she'd made. She was flattered when he told her he would like to buy it from her, and that turned into shock when he told her how much for. It was a lot of money, but it was worth every cent to see how Ryan reacted. 

Eventually Gavin began looking for Ryan, and when he finally found him sipping at a flute of champagne, he had a look of mischief in his eyes. It wasn't until Ryan nodded towards the bathrooms that Gavin got it, and all he could do was grin and head that way. 

...

Gavin thrust into Ryan one last time before he came, gasping and panting as he held onto Ryan's hips. It had been way too long since he'd had sex somewhere public like that, and it was never as good as this. "Damn Rye." He murmured as he pulled back to do up his pants. 

"I told you the handicapped stall made for more room." Ryan smirked. 

"God, you're horrible." Gavin grinned as they tidied up.

"Aww, even after I showed you a good time?" Ryan laughed quietly, grabbing Gavin's ass. 

"Alright, so you're slightly less horrible." Gavin rolled his eyes, heading out of the stall. He was glad no one was in there, because then things would have gotten awkward. 

"Oh, c'mon. I think there's still a whole section of art we haven't looked at yet. We should head over there and check it out. Who knows, maybe there will be something you like over there." 

It took them about ten minutes to reach the area and start looking around, and almost immediately they found it. 

"That is the ugliest piece of art I have ever seen in my life." Ryan muttered. 

"It's so many different browns and then just one bit where there's white. Maybe it's supposed to represent a Mandingo party?" 

"If so that is the worst looking Mandingo party I have ever seen."

"I bet Geoff would hang it up on his wall if we bought it for him."

That was enough to make Ryan begin to shake with quiet laughter. "He would though! Oh god, it's totally worth the money. We're buying that. That's Geoff's new mantle piece."

Gavin grinned and head over to talk to the artist, though he noticed Ryan running off again. He sighed at that, but he knew he'd probably be back this time. 

It didn't take long until Gavin finished up with the deal, making it so himself and Ryan were each paying $250,000 for that piece of work (still way too pricey in his opinion, but it barely put a dent in his pocket at the end of the day) and by time the details were all sorted out Ryan appeared next to him with two champagne flutes. 

...

Ryan parked outside of Geoff's penthouse, looking back over at Gavin. "You sure you don't want a ride home?"

"My car is here, so I should take it back." Gavin hummed. "Plus I can take this up to Geoff real quick. I'll make sure to snapchat the experience to you." 

Ryan only nodded, putting the car into park. "If that's what you want, then go for it. I expect top notch snapchats. I did pay into this $250,000."

Gavin only shrugged. "They'll be great." Once the doors were unlocked, Gavin immediately hopped out. He needed to resist the urge to lean in and kiss Ryan, as if this had been a date. This wasn't. But it had still been a great night, and Gavin loved every second of it. Now he just needed to take this disgusting piece of work to Geoff.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Pi Day!

Geoff took another sip of his drink as he watched Gavin do another line. Griffon had gone out with Jack earlier, so he'd invited Gavin inside to hang out while she was away. Plus he wanted to see how Gavin's night had gone. Him and Meg had planned it perfectly after Gavin had suggested it. He'd made sure Ryan had gotten the best suit money could buy, then set an alarm to the tune of his ringtone so he could fake a phone call and have Meg come with him and leave them alone. He just hoped that the night had gone well.

"So how was it at the gallery?" Geoff asked when Gavin's head lifted once more. 

Gavin grinned widely. "It was top. There wasn't much good, but there were things that me and Ryan made fun of. Then there was this one piece and it was great. It was all reds and blacks and anger, but it had like soft edges? Like it looked like it might have belonged on the streets, like graffiti, but the edges were too soft and light. Ryan really liked it. I spent almost a million dollars on it. I'm gonna give it to him later. And we found that one and got it for you." Gavin pointed at the piece that they'd hung up on the wall when he'd gotten there. Well, Geoff hung it up and Gavin took pictures and snapchats the whole time. 

"Yeah? Well, you know, I think Kerry still has a key to Ryan's after Ryan 'talked' him into taking care of his plants. We could get it from him and just put it in."

"Or we could use mine. I never even thought about that. It'd be a lovely surprise." Gavin hummed, doing another line.

Geoff frowned a bit. "You have a key to Ryan's?" He asked. Maybe it would help Gavin open up more. Meg already said her and Lindsay got Ryan to talk when he'd approached her. He knew it was going on, but he wanted Gavin to tell him about it. 

"Yeah, I've had one. He has one to mine too. I gave him one after he broke into my house one morning. That was a good morning." Gavin grinned as he spoke.

"How was it good that he broke into your house? I mean he's my friend and all but if he broke into my house I would change the locks and up security. Hell, I did that after you broke into my house." 

Gavin only shrugged, leaning back into his chair. "It just was. I guess I just had a nice wake up call."

"Oh, he wake you up with a bit of morning sex?" Geoff joked, though when he saw the surprised look and the blush on Gavin's cheeks, he knew it was true. "Wait, seriously? So, you and him... Are you like a thing?" 

Gavin shifted his feet and looked away from Geoff. "I mean, it's just sex. We're not really a thing. Just... He's him, y'know? And not a lot of people like that, but I do. And then there's me. I'm a warm and willing body. It makes sense he would come to me."

"Oh." Geoff murmured quietly. "So, how long has it been going on?" He asked. 

Gavin slowly lifted his eyes up to look at Geoff. "Close to three months?"

Geoff grabbed the nearest pillow to him and threw it at Gavin. "Three months and you haven't told me?? I'm your best friend! I practically adopted you! I pretty much _raised_ you!"

Gavin yelped as the pillow hit him, and he slowly crawled out of his chair. "Geoff! Ah! I'm sorry!" Gavin groaned. "I didn't tell anyone! It's not like it's important."

"It's not-- Gavin, you're sleeping with the most wanted man in the nation and you think it's not important!?" Geoff paused for a moment as Gavin turned his head and pouted at him. "It's very important! Wanna know why?"

"Why is it important?" Gavin asked as he turned to lay down on his back. 

"Because I need to know how big his dick is. It's huge, right? Or is all the killing and crazy just a form of overcompensating?"

That got Gavin to laugh. It was good to see him laugh and be open about this. It was good to see Gavin happy. Even if it was partially the drugs. "He's a fairly decent size. Not too big, but not tiny either. He's bigger than you, though not by much. Still wish I didn't have that information." 

"Well, maybe don't show up at my house at 4am after I've just got done doing a sex with my wife." Geoff huffed. "And I knew it. Guy like that has to be huge." Geoff finished off his drink and then poured another. "So, you haven't asked him out yet? Like on a real date?"

Gavin shook his head as he cut up another line. "No. He wouldn't say yes anyway. This is just sex. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Do you want it to be more?"

Gavin went quiet for a moment as he thought about it. Finally after a moment he nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"Then ask him." Geoff took another swig of his drink. "You two would be good together. Hell, you're already good together."

Gavin sighed at that before doing his line. "Not yet. I have to be sure. Maybe after I see how he reacts to the painting. It's beautiful. I have to go back down to the gallery in the morning to pick it up."

"Well, Ryan, Trevor, and Jeremy are heading out of town tomorrow to follow a lead on the whole Glambo Jonez thing. They'll be gone for a few days, so between your work with that hacker we'll find the time to go over and put it in his apartment."

Gavin nodded at that. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

...

When Ryan first entered the living room of his apartment, the last thing he expected to see hanging up above his couch was the piece of art he'd seen at the gallery.

He hadn't bought it because he'd been trying to save his money on something worthwhile, but when he'd seen it he'd fallen in love with it. Ryan walked up to it and placed his hand on the canvas, running his fingers across it and feeling the texture of the paint. 

Ryan smiled lightly as he stepped back and pulled his phone from his pocket. _You at home?_

_No, I'm at work. Taking care of a few things before I head over._ Perfect. Ryan placed his phone back into his pocket before heading into his room, reaching for the sculpture in his closet. 

Gavin hadn't even seen it, but Ryan knew he would love it. It was an abstract piece, with swooping motions and sharp points to it. To Ryan, it sort of looked like a fire. That's why he'd gotten it; Gavin always loved to watch a fire burn, especially if he'd set it himself. Ryan knew it would look great on Gavin's coffee table. 

....

_Now I'm at home. I'm assuming from the way you asked you're in the neighborhood and will be here soon?_

_Something like that._

Ryan hopped out of his car and headed back towards the building he'd just left. Gavin hadn't said anything about the sculpture, and Ryan didn't expect him to. It was probably going to turn into one of those things that just happen without either of them talking about it. 

When Ryan finally reached the door to Gavin's apartment, he didn't even bother knocking. It wasn't locked anyway, rarely was unless Gavin was gone or asleep. 

Gavin was staring at the sculpture when Ryan found him. He seemed lost in it, and he knew he'd made the right choice when he'd taken it. But, still. He walked up behind Gavin and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Hey there. Been awhile." Ryan purred into Gavin's ear. "How's everything been holding up since I've been gone?" He asked as his hands moved down to undo the button on Gavin's jeans. 

"They've been alright, though they're... Better now." Gavin ended his sentence with a gasp as Ryan's hand made it's way into his boxer briefs, wrapping around him as he spoke.

"Well, it's good to hear that." He murmured before nipping at Gavin's neck. "Though it'd be better to hear something else." 

Ryan removed his hand from Gavin's pants before he grabbed his hand and began leading him to the couch. He reveled in the impatient whine that the man let out as he was pushed over the arm of the couch until he was bent over. 

He slowly pushed Gavin's pants down past his ass until they fell to his ankles. He shoved Gavin's shirt up as he leaned down and sucked a mark into the top of his ass, his free hand reaching into his own back pocket for the lube and condom he'd stashed there before coming over. Ryan slicked up his fingers before he slowly began opening up Gavin. 

"Fuck, Rye. Faster." Gavin hummed. 

"What, don't like it when I take my time?" Ryan asked as he added another finger. 

"Hell no. Please Ryan." Gavin groaned. 

It wasnt much longer after that before Ryan was pushing into Gavin, one hand on his hip and the other wrapped around the back of Gavin's neck. He pulled Gavin into each thrust harshly, and with each thrust Gavin let out either a whine or a moan. Ryan could feel the vibrations of each noise as he moved his hand to cup where Gavin's shoulder met with his neck. Gavin didn't seem to care that with each thrust Ryan shoved him further and further into the couch, and even seemed to enjoy receiving the treatment as much as Ryan did giving it. 

Ryan leaned down and sucked a hickey into Gavin's lightly tanned skin. The dark mark looked good next to the more faded ones he'd made. Every time he made a mark, he felt like he was staking a claim. Gavin may not be his, but anyone else who had the pleasure of getting Gavin into a position similar to theirs, they would see that someone else had been there before them. Someone else had already taken him and made him theirs before they reached him, and that he trusted them enough to leave more than one mark. Gavin wasn't his, but he'd make damn sure that for as long as this lasted everyone else knew that he wasn't theirs either. 

"God Ryan, so good. Don't stop, please don't stop." Gavin cried out, making a low rumble of a moan rise from Ryan's chest. Nothing pleased him more thsn to hear Gavin begging, to see him shaking from the pleasure, to feel his hips crashing back against his own in an effort to be closer to Ryan. Moments like these are what kept him sane on lonely nights. 

"You gonna come for me?" Ryan rasped out. "You gonna show me just how much you like being bent over and just taken in your own home? How much you love being shoved down into those cushions, how much you like being fucked so hard you won't be able to walk straight?" He punctuated each sentence with hard thrusts the made Gavin cry out each time. His hand tightened on Gavin's hip and he knew that tomorrow he'd see bruises shaped like his own fingers there if Gavin''s shirt rode up at any point of the day. 

It didn't take long after that for Gavin to come with a whimper, and it took even less time after that for Ryan to follow him over the edge. Gavin twisted and squirmed until he had his back on the couch and he was sprawled out along it. Ryan himself slumped over the arm or the couch, half laying on top of Gavin while the rest of him hung off the couch. They rarely did this after sex, so Ryan planned to soak up as much of it as he could while he could. 

They both lay there silently as they caught their breath, Ryan taking in as much of Gavin's presence as he could while Gavin had both of his arms spread out above his head. It didn't take much longer before Ryan knew he had to move. He pulled away from Gavin and stood up, heading into the kitchen as he pulled off the condom and tied it off. After throwing it in the trash he reached into the cupboard and grabbed out two glasses, filling them both with water and motioning one out to Gavin. 

Gavin slowly got up from the couch and Ryan smirked as he saw the younger grimace when he began walking over to grab it, though when Gavin's shirt finally fell from where it had been stuck around his shoulders he was sad to see the bruise forming on his hip hidden. "So what are your plans for the night?" Gavin asked before taking a drink. 

 

"Probably gonna stay in and take care of my plants. They need to be watered." Ryan murmured. He wished he could stay here, stay in with Gavin and maybe play some games or watch a movie, but he couldn't. He needed the excuse to leave, so he wouldn't be tempted to say fuck it and ask to stay. He needed to distance himself. 

Gavin nodded at that as he took another drink. He set down his glass and headed back over to where they'd left their jeans when they'd stepped out of them. Ryan watched as he grabbed his own and slid them back on before throwing Ryan his. "Yeah, I think I might head over to Michael's tonight. It's been a while since him and I have hung out properly." 

"Yeah, probably a good idea. I think I heard Jeremy talking about heading over as well. You guys can make it a game night." 

"Yeah, we probably will. It'll be fun." Gavin hummed. 

Ryan finished off his water as he tugged his pants back on. They said their goodbyes and he was gone. On the drive back to his home, he kicked himself for not staying with Gavin and telling him how he felt. When he checked his phone, he saw he had a message from Meg asking where he was. He ended up inviting over her and Lindsay, because having people he could talk to was better than sitting at home alone.


	11. Chapter 11

Today was the day they'd been waiting and preparing for. Today was the day Gavin had spent hours doing computer work and making deals for.

Today was the day of the heist. 

They'd given themselves plenty of time after the shipments came in, that way they would have plenty of time to prepare, fight off Glasgow and the Corpirate, and stay under the radar. Since the Maze Bank was a lot larger than the usual bank downtown, they had both the main crew and the B team working on the field today, with the addition of Ray making one last return to help out. Gavin knew as soon as he got up it would be a good day. 

Gavin hadn't been able to sleep the night before, so he'd taken it upon himself to have a fun little night on the town. He didn't do anything that would interfere with the job, just had some fun at a few bars, nothing like he wish he could have done. It didn't matter in the end though, because he'd ended up at Ryan's anyway. He smiled as he heard the shower start up, wishing every morning could start like this; with a warm shower and a psychopath waiting for him in the next room for round two. 

...

Gavin worked with the keypads as Steffie helped him out over the comm. Right now he was glad they were keeping her on as a member because while he was good, he wasn't anything like her. As the next door opened and he waved through Lindasay, Matt, Kdin and Michael. Michael just needed to use his thermal charges (which he had had a field day testing out last week) and then they were in the vault, at which point Matt, Lindsay, Kdin and himself would start filling bags. Steffie had most of the building on lockdown while the others were either outside ready to deal with the oncoming police force or holding down crowd control in the places not under lockdown. 

So far things were going smoothly. No interference from Glasgow or the Corpirate, and the police had yet to arrive, though they were prepared on all fronts. 

"Alright, vault's open, head on in fuckers." Michael's excited voice came over the comms, and they headed in. 

...

They were in the clear. Everyone on the ground team were escaping and everyone with the money was safe in the chopper. They'd already evaded the police choppers, and everything was going smoothly. They'd gotten away with nearly five full duffle bags full of money, and while they still had to count it, it had to be their biggest take yet. Just as they were getting clear of the city they began celebrating, knowing they'd gotten away. 

The cheers and talk of bevs didn't last long. 

"Hey, whoa, who's chopper is that?" Kdin yelled as he looked out. Michael and Gavin both headed over and hung out a bit from the side of the chopper, only for Gavin to shove him down as shots were fired. 

"Shit! It's gotta be the Corpirate's men! Fuck, we should have known that he would bring in a chopper of his own!" Jack screamed. "Someone fucking pick up a gun and start shooting, I'll do my best to avoid their shots."

"Jack, if you can get close enough I can throw some sticky bombs on them." Michael said as he pulled a gun from the back. 

"What the duck is going on up there?" Gavin heard Geoff yell over the commline. 

"The Corpirate sent some guys after us. We're handling it, we're gonna get it taken care of. Is everyone alright?" Lindsay asked as she started shooting out the side of the cargobob. 

"I think we're all fine." Matt answered, handing Gavin a gun. 

Gavin positioned himself next to Michael and began firing shots of his own, only to stop a few moments later as he felt a sharp pain and hot liquid against his side. "Goddammit!" He screamed as he fell back. At a closer look inspection, he saw his shirt slowly becoming more and more red. "I'm hit!" 

"What the fuck is going on?" Gavin grabbed his side as he heard Ryan's thunderous voice in his ear. 

He felt hands shoving his away as Kdin grabbed the first aid kit. As his shirt was thrown off of him, he looked to where it landed next to him. The last thing he remembered was seeing the red and soft edges of his blood on the shirt and thinking about Ryan. 

...

When he next woke up, it was in his room at Geoff's penthouse. Next to him was a bottle of vicodin and a glass of water, which he immediately reached for. In his reaching he missed and instead rolled off the bed with a soft swear. Pain ripped through his side at that, and he held it gently. Before he could even stand up the door to his room opened up and Meg walked in. "Oh shit, Gavin. C'mon, back on the bed." She said as she helped him back up. "Jesus, did you fall off?"

"Yes, Turney, I did. I was just trying to get the meds." He muttered, though took them when she offered them. "What happened?" He asked. 

"We got away. They're counting up the money now. You took pretty good shot to your side, but Caleb was able to patch you up quick. It's not serious, though it could have been. You got lucky." She hummed as she handed him the water. "Everyone was worried. Ray's still here so he can see you before he leaves, Michael and Lindsay went home but Geoff asked me to keep an eye on you. Ryan's been pacing in the kitchen for the last three hours since he finally made it back, and everyone else had to go back home or to work so they asked me to keep updating them. I can finally tell them all you're awake." She smiled. "Here, I'll go get you another glass of water."

Gavin watched as she left, and almost called out to tell her to have Ryan come in. Almost.

He sat there silently as he waited, though the next person to enter his room wasn't her, but in fact Ray. "X-Ray!" He smiled as he slowly sat up all the way. 

"Hey there Vav, how's it going?" Ray asked as he sat down. 

"Well, I've been shot, but it could've been worse. I hear we got away."

"Yeah, I heard that Lindsay shot the pilot out of their seat and the chopper went down. Didn't stop Michael from throwing a sticky bomb on them on the way down." Ray chuckled. "Then again, who's surprised by that?" 

"Not me." Gavin chuckled. 

They talked for a little bit longer, but after a bit, Gavin had to let him go home. It was late, and he needed to get back. He said his goodbyes, and then it was back to sitting alone. 

...

It was almost 3am when Gavin woke up when he felt a dip in his bed. He turned over gently to find Ryan settling in next to him. The one person he wanted to see, finally here. "I brought you some water." Ryan whispered. 

Gavin smiled at that. "Awe, look at you, taking care of me." He joked as he moved closer to where Ryan was laying next to him. "Lovely Ryan."

Things started out how they usually do, with clothes being shed and thrown to the ground, but it was different this time, too sweet. Ryan's touches were too soft, instead of harsh bites it was all soft kisses, instead of a rough time like they usually liked it was slow and smooth. It felt less like sex and more like making love, and Gavin loved it. He soaked up every moment he could while he could. He needed this, had wanted this, and finally he was getting it. 

When they finished Gavin lay sprawled out on the bed, while Ryan stood up and headed to the trashcan. He hated knowing he wouldn't climb back into bed with him, hated knowing he would walk out that door. He'd had enough. "Stay." Gavin murmured as Ryan's hand reached down towards his pants. 

"What?" Ryan asked as he paused, a look of confusion on his face.

"Stay with me. You don't have to go back to your room." He said as he looked up at Ryan. "Unless you want to, that is. But you can stay if you want."

Ryan nodded at that, and instead of continuing to reach for his clothes, he stepped over them and climbed back into bed. As Gavin moved back over and curled up against him, he felt Ryan's hand come up and run through his hair. He'd never been happier than he was right now.

...

When he woke up Ryan was still there in bed with him, with his arms looped around him and holding him carefully close. Gavin nuzzled as close as he could while Ryan continued to sleep next to him. He didn't know what would happen when he woke up, or if Ryan would even want to talk about this or if he would just leave.

As he lay there, Gavin let his mind wander. How would they even begin a conversation about this? They never even talked about what they were doing before. Would Ryan even want him in that way? Gavin shifted until he was out of Ryan's arms. There were so many doubts in his mind and he didn't know how to stop them. He shifted his gaze back to Ryan as he slept peacefully. He didn't leave last night. Maybe that was a start. 

He thought back to the sculpture left on his coffee table at his apartment. He knew Ryan had to have gotten that for him. It was perfect too. Maybe there was something here. He looked away from Ryan as he shifted around and slowly woke up. 

"Morning." Ryan murmured as he stretched. 

"Morning." Gavin mumbled back. He had to say something. They had to figure this out. "You got that sculpture for me, didn't you?" He asked. 

Ryan paused for a moment before he spoke. "Do you not like it?" He asked. 

"No! No, I love it. But..."

"But?"

"I wanna know why." Gavin asked. He needed to know. He needed to understand why. 

Ryan shrugged at that. "Why did you get that painting?"

Gavin bit his lip. He still couldn't bring himself to look at Ryan, but he needed to tell the truth. He wanted to. He was tired of not knowing what this was. "Because when I saw it all I thought about was you. And you really seemed to like it. Thought it would make you happy."

He saw Ryan nod from the corner his eye. "Then you know why I got it." Ryan murmured. "I know you never got to see it, but I knew you would like it. And I was right. It's also a good reminder of that night."

Gavin smiled softly at that, and he finally turned to face Ryan. "What're we doing? How did this even start?"

Ryan chuckled at that. "It started when you showed up at my door. In the middle of the night, high, after fighting with Geoff over god knows what."

"Oh." He hummed. They sat there with nothing to say, the silence crashing over them like waves on a shoreline. There still wasn't any real substance here. What was this? Has it always been what he thought, just something to pass the time, something of convenience? Or has there been something here all along and he just never saw it? "We should do something. Together. Go out and just have a good time. If you want." He blurted out. 

Ryan seemed shocked to hear this, like he hadn't been expecting something like that to roll off of Gavin's tongue. Almost as if he was just as much in the dark as Gavin was. "Okay."


	12. Chapter 12

Their day was filled with stories of the heist, of bragging and boasting and laughter. It was filled with more cash than they'd ever gotten at one time and reminiscing of older heists. It turned out to be a good day, despite watching Gavin constantly needing to take a pill or hold his side when he felt pain where he'd been shot, but the real fun didn't start until the lights when down.

Ryan offered to take Gavin home when Geoff had mentioned in passing how worried he was about him being safe. Almost everyone had left at this point, so it was the least he could do. Geoff had only smiled at the suggestion and even said something that still rang in his ears, something that made him wonder if he knew something was going on between them. _Good. I'm glad I know that no matter what, you'll always be there to take care of Gavin. God knows someone needs to keep him out of trouble. You're who he needs, someone he can trust. I'm glad he has that._ It held more than just a thank you for taking care of him, but it was said in such a way that he didn't know what was going on. Had Gavin said anything to him? Maybe there really was something here. Maybe there was something in how Gavin spoke to him this morning, and how he'd asked him to stay this morning. Maybe he'd been wrong this whole time. 

When they left, Ryan had planned on actually taking Gavin home, but he needed to know more. "Where do you want to go?" He'd asked. 

"Anywhere but here." Was the answer he had gotten. 

That's how they ended up at the top of Mount Chilliad.

They drove for a long time with only the radio playing. They never said a word to each other, but the way Gavin's hand rested on his thigh as he sang along was comforting. There was something here, and Ryan wouldn't let it go. Not when he was finally getting what he craved the most. 

When they reached the top, it was very late. Not a soul in sight. It was perfect. Ryan shut off the car and smiled to Gavin before the climbed out of the car. "Mount Chilliad?" Gavin asked as he followed. 

"I like to come here late at night when I can't sleep. It's peaceful and secluded. And it has a great view." Ryan hummed in response. "Thought you would like it as well." As Gavin stepped up beside him, he took his hand and interlaced their fingers. Gavin didn't pull away and Ryan loved it. 

"Is that a bloodstain? That wasn't here the last time I was here." Gavin asked as they stepped onto the wooden landing. 

"Don't ask about that. It's not important."

Gavin threw his head back and he shook with laughter. "Did you do that?" 

"Look, a couple came up here and they were being loud and they were being assholes. Wrong time, wrong place, wrong person to piss off. It's not my fault!"

Gavin laughed even harder at that. "Oh Ryan, lovely Ryan."

"I tell you that I may have killed some people for being loud and now I'm lovely?" Ryan laughed as he pulled Gavin a bit closer when they finally found a place to settle. 

"What, I it's not the worst thing ever. We kill people all the time. And it's funny." Gavin smiled before pulling out his phone to play some music.

Ryan looked out over the city as the music played. It was beautiful at this time of night. Like an empire, and it was his tonight. His and Gavin's. An empire for two. They owned this city tonight. 

"Geoff hung up the painting." Gavin said. 

"I saw. It looks disgustingly beautiful above the mantle." Ryan chuckled. "Does he really like it that much?"

Gavin nodded at that with a laugh. "He must really like Mandingo parties." Ryan laughed at that, pulling Gavin closer to himself. They sat there again in silence for a few moments longer before Gavin spoke again. "Is this a date?" He blurted out.

Ryan looked over at him, seeing both the hope and doubt in his eyes. He brought up his arm and wrapped it around Gavin's shoulders, leaning in close. "Only if you want it to be." He murmured. The smile on the younger man's face made his heart race, and he couldn't help but to close the distance and press his lips to Gavin's.

It was different from all their other kisses before. It didn't have any of the old harshness, it didn't have the same impatience or expectations. It was just sweet, it was just them. Nothing else. 

The night from there was perfect. They didn't talk anything out, and they should have, but now they both knew what they wanted. They wanted more, and Ryan was more than on board with that. The future wasn't clear; the threat of Glasgow and Corpirate still hung over all their heads, and there was still the chance they could both die tomorrow. Tonight was a night that would be with them forever, from the top of Mount Chilliad to the painting they stared at as they lounged on Ryan's couch. No matter where they went or what the future held, tonight was a turning point. It held promises kissed into each other's skin and laughs that kept the night young even as the sun came up. 

It didn't become truly perfect and memorable until they were both laying in Ryan's bed, with the sun peeking in and the feel of Gavin's skin under his fingers. It wasn't perfect until he heard those words. "I love you." Even though they had been blurted out, they still held meaning behind them. That was what mattered. What mattered more was that Ryan could whisper them back. 

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, but I couldn't think of a more perfect ending. Thank you for being here with me for this, for trudging through even when I was too busy to update for weeks at a time. The end is here, and I hope you like it. <3


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